tea-gown noun1 •A loose-fitting semiformal gown, made of light fabrics, worn in the late 19th and early 20th century for entertaining, especially for afternoon tea.Eve crushed in a corner, a sorrowful, dainty shape in the silk and lace of her pretty tea-gown, with the white drawn face of a scared child […] — 1893 formstea gowns · tea-gowns