bubble tea

English

Etymology

A phono-semantic match for boba tea (see that entry for more), ultimately from Cantonese 波霸 (bo1 baa3, busty woman; tapioca pearl(s)). The match is from the tapioca pearls' supposed resemblance to bubbles.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

bubble tea (countable and uncountable, plural bubble teas)

  1. Sweetened tea with milk and tapioca pearls, often including fruit juice, syrup and other ingredients.

Synonyms

Translations

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English bubble tea.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbabl ˈti/
  • Syllabification: bu‧bble tea

Noun

bubble tea n (indeclinable)

  1. bubble tea (sweetened tea with milk and tapioca pearls, often including fruit juice, syrup, and other ingredients)

Further reading