oolong

/ˈuː.lɒŋ/ Chinese Origin Food & Drink

Original Word

乌龙

Mandarin (wū lóng)

Entered English

19th century

First recorded usage in English

The Story Behind "oolong"

From Mandarin 'wū lóng' (乌龙), literally 'black dragon', referring to a partially oxidized tea. The name likely comes from the dark, twisted appearance of the tea leaves.

Example Usage

"Oolong tea has a distinctive flavor between green and black tea."

All Chinese Loanwords Look Up in Dictionary

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