An Entry Sunday, May 17, 2026
The Thiccctionary
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Cup of bubble tea in a clear plastic container.

Plate XIX. Cup of bubble tea in a clear plastic container.

Photo by Orimi Protograph on Unsplash

Bubble Tea

BUH-bul tee  n.
  1. 1. A sweetened beverage of East Asian origin, characterized by its distinctive tapioca pearls, known for adding substantiality to the drink's lower regions.
  2. 2. colloq. A thiccc thirst-quencher where the tapioca pearls sit like a posse, openly occupying the bottom half of her clear plastic cup.
In a sentence:

"She rolled into the café with a thiccc bubble tea, and the tapioca pearls at the base announced her arrival before she did."

Etymology:

From English bubble (onomatopoeic, referring to the frothy top layer) + tea (from Old Chinese 'tu', via Malay 'teh', attested since the 17th century). The pearls' penchant for congregating at the bottom is a modern phenomenon.

From the desk

Filed by

Teddy VanceJunior Cataloguer

The tapioca pearls don't sit at the bottom so much as they claim it, permanently and completely.

Ruling ADMITTED

Bart PrussSenior Cataloguer

The lower-region mass is structural and on record. The frothy top is garnish and will not be cited again.

In the margin

Eliza HartwellStaff Writer

A beverage where the bottom is the whole point and the drink is just the commute to get there.

Frequently asked

Is a bubble tea thiccc?

Yes. Bubble Tea was admitted to the Thiccctionary on May 17, 2026 and filed in the Foods of Substance section. The ruling on file: Admitted. Every subject in the catalogue is judged on its curves, not its size.

What makes a bubble tea thiccc?

A thiccc thirst-quencher where the tapioca pearls sit like a posse, openly occupying the bottom half of her clear plastic cup.

Is "thiccc" spelled with three c's?

Yes. The Thiccctionary house spelling uses three c's, distinguishing the editorial register from the colloquial "thicc" (two c's) and standard "thick" (one c).

Sources

  1. Photograph by Orimi Protograph, via Unsplash. Catalogued under plate XIX.
  2. Direct ruling URL: thiccctionary.com/is/bubble-tea-thiccc/, the shareable "Is a bubble tea thiccc?" page.
  3. Cross-reference: Thiccctionary A-Z, B.
  4. Catalogued under: Foods of Substance. See related entries below.
  5. Editorial review: ruled admitted by the desk. Objections on file.

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