ˈtea-chest
[f. tea n. + chest n.1]
† 1. = tea-caddy: see tea n. 9 c. Obs.
| 1740 Mrs. Delany in Life & Corr. (1861) II. 97, I have got a very neat tea-chest for Mrs. Yate, which shall be filled with tea, and delivered to her. 1775 Ash, Teachest, a small kind of cabinet in which tea is brought to table. 1780 F. Burney Diary Apr., I was putting away the tea⁓chest. c 1850 [Remembered in use at Cambridge]. |
2. A large box or chest of cubical form, lined with sheet-lead, in which tea is packed for transport: cf. chest n.1 6. Also attrib.
| 1801 Hulme in Phil. Trans. XCI. 403 Flat lead, such as lines Chinese tea-chests. 1893 F. F. Moore I Forbid Banns (1899) 100 The furniture had not the appearance of being made out of flour barrels and tea-chests. There was not much of the tea-chest look about the old oak dresser. |