chai
n. uncountablen. a type of tea made by boiling tea leaves with milk, sugar, and spices like ginger or cardamom. It is very popular in South Asia and is often served hot.
n. a spiced tea beverage originating from the Indian subcontinent, typically prepared by brewing black tea with a mixture of aromatic spices, milk, and sweetener.
I love drinking hot chai on a rainy afternoon.
The street vendor prepared a fresh batch of chai, crushing ginger and cardamom pods directly into the boiling milk.
While the term simply means tea in many languages, in Western culinary contexts it specifically refers to masala chai, characterized by its robust spice profile and creamy texture.
Borrowed from Romani ćhaj (“Romani girl, daughter”).
From Hindustani चाय / چائے (cāy, “tea”), from Classical Persian چَای (čāy) (and Turkish çay, and cognates) from Sinitic 茶 (chá). Doublet of cha and tea; see that page for extended history.
Borrowed from Hebrew חַי (kháy, “alive”).
Borrowed from French chai, from Occitan.
From Russian чай (čaj, “tea”). Doublet of cha and tea.
I would like a chai teaI would like a chaiSince 'chai' means 'tea' in many languages, saying 'chai tea' is redundant, though common in Western coffee shops.