Pekoes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of high-quality tea made from the young leaves and buds of the Camellia sinensis plant
2. A term used to describe first-grade tea that is characterized by its fine flavor and aroma
3. A classification of tea typically signifying a premium product, often sought after for its delicate taste and fragrance

Etymology: The English noun "pekoes" is the plural of "pekoe," a grade of black tea that takes its name from the Chinese "bái háo" (白毫), meaning "white down" or "white hair." The name refers to the fine, silvery hairs on the tips of young tea buds, which were prized and which give the leaves a pale, downy look. The term reached English through trade with southern China, probably via the port of Amoy (now Xiamen), where traders from Europe bought tea. The Chinese term was rendered in the local Min dialect as something like "pek-ho," and English speakers adopted it by the early eighteenth century. Its use in English is largely a trade term. Over time, "pekoe" became a general grade name in the tea trade, and it now appears in names such as orange pekoe. These names describe leaf size and grade rather than a single, fixed standard of taste or fragrance, so the modern sense of "premium" is a later gloss on a term that originally described the appearance of the leaf.