tea-strainer
Definition
Noun: A small kitchen utensil, typically a fine-mesh sieve or perforated spoon, designed to catch and hold loose tea leaves when pouring brewed tea from a teapot into a cup, thus preventing the leaves from entering the beverage.
Usage
The tea-strainer is placed over or inside the cup. Liquid tea passes through its mesh or holes, while the solid tea leaves are retained. - She poured the tea through a silver tea-strainer to ensure a clear cup. - For loose-leaf tea, you will need a pot and a tea-strainer.
Advanced Usage
- While its primary function is for tea, a tea-strainer can be repurposed in cooking or bartending to strain small quantities of liquids, such as removing seeds from fresh lemon juice or herbs from a cocktail.
- In historical or formal contexts, a tea-strainer is often part of a matching tea service set.
Variants and Related Words
- Strainer (noun): A more general term for any device used to separate solids from liquids. A tea-strainer is a specific type of strainer.
- Infuser (noun): A different device (often a ball or basket) in which tea leaves are contained steeping inside the pot, whereas a strainer is used .
Synonyms
- Tea sieve
- Tea filter (though this often refers to disposable paper versions)
Related Idioms or Phrases
No common idioms or phrasal verbs are specifically associated with "tea-strainer."
Noun
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a device to keep back tea leaves when pouring a cup of tea
