Phrase guide

tea break

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • rhymes with -eɪk
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A short break or rest period during the day when a cup of tea or coffee is drunk.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A short rest break which an employee is entitled to take, shorter in duration than a lunchbreak

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a snack taken during a break in the work day

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a ten-minute coffee break
  • the British have tea breaks

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: coffee break

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bite, collation, snack

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: اِسْتِرَاحَة (istirāḥa) — a short break or rest period during the day when a cup of tea or coffee is drunk
  • Chinese Mandarin: 茶歇 (cháxiē) — a short break or rest period during the day when a cup of tea or coffee is drunk
  • Chinese Mandarin: 茶敘 /茶叙 (cháxù) — a short break or rest period during the day when a cup of tea or coffee is drunk
  • Dutch: theepauze — a short break or rest period during the day when a cup of tea or coffee is drunk
  • Finnish: teetauko — a short break or rest period during the day when a cup of tea or coffee is drunk
  • French: pause thé — a short break or rest period during the day when a cup of tea or coffee is drunk
  • German: Teepause — a short break or rest period during the day when a cup of tea or coffee is drunk
  • Russian: переры́в на чай (pererýv na čaj) — a short break or rest period during the day when a cup of tea or coffee is drunk
  • Turkish: çay molası — a short break or rest period during the day when a cup of tea or coffee is drunk