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

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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.

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