Word
rosie
Phoneticsrosie
/ˈɹoʊzi/
Definitions
01a cup of tea
n. a cup of tea. This comes from the rhyming slang 'Rosie Lee'.
n. a cup of tea; derived from the Cockney rhyming slang 'Rosie Lee'. The term is uncountable and often used with 'a cup of'.
“After a long walk in the rain, there is nothing better than a nice cup of Rosie.”
“The old man sat by the fire, contentedly sipping a cup of Rosie while he listened to the radio.”
British English · Slang · Informal
Usage
Usually appears in the phrase 'a cup of Rosie'.
Teaching tip
This is very specific to London and older British dialects; most modern learners will only encounter it in films or books set in the UK.
02female factory worker
n. a name for women who worked in factories during World War II.
n. a reference to 'Rosie the Riveter', representing the American women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II.
“My grandmother was a real-life Rosie who built planes during the war.”
“The cultural icon of the Rosie became a symbol of female empowerment and industrial contribution during the mid-twentieth century.”
American English · Informal
Usage
Often used as a proper noun or in historical contexts.
03the name Rose
n. a friendly or short name for someone named Rose or Rosemary.
n. a diminutive form of the female given names Rose, Rosemary, or Rosalind.
“Everyone in the family calls her Rosie instead of Rosemary.”
“Although her legal documents state her name is Rosalind, she has been known as Rosie to her colleagues for over twenty years.”
Informal
Usage
Used as a nickname or a familiar form of address.
Real-World Examples
“Emily Davison says soaring temperatures force her to put the welfare of her guide dog, Rosie, before her own independence.” Scan code
englishreference.com/q/rosie