Tea

There are many problems with the word tea used as the name of a meal (more common in Britain than America), rather than that of a plant (Camellia sinensis) or the drink made from its leaves. The first is that in some social classes, and so in the areas of the country where they are the largest part of the population, the name tea has come to be applied to the main meal of the day when it is eaten in the evening, after work. Among the wealthier classes, tea (sometimes translated into French as le five-o'clock, although four o'clock is the more traditional hour in the UK) is a light refreshment of tea, drunk sometimes with an accompaniment of dainty sandwiches and light cakes, etc.

Confusion can be avoided by the additional use of the compound names afternoon tea (for the light, elegant upper class meal), and high tea for the heavier main meal, usually eaten around six o'clock in the evening. Otherwise, if you are unsure whether you have been invited to an afternoon snack or main evening meal, I suggest that you ask "What time should I/we come?" The answer should make it clear. If you are lucky!

See also Dinner - lunch - tea, and meals.