# tea leaf

idiom · Slang

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/tea-leaf
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

thief

## Examples

- Watch your wallet, there is a tea leaf around here.
- The shopkeeper chased the tea leaf down the street after seeing him grab a bag of apples.
- Security guards apprehended the notorious tea leaf just as he attempted to exit the department store with stolen goods.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.