afternoon snack; afternoon tea
A light meal or snack taken around 3 p.m., often sweet, similar to British afternoon tea. The phrase is a set expression.
I had cookies for my 3 p.m. snack.
Today's afternoon snack is cake.
Common modern spelling using numeral ３.
Kanji spelling for ３時.
Rare spelling using お八つ for おやつ; mostly historical or stylistic.
From ３時 (3 o'clock) + おやつ (snack). The phrase reflects the Japanese custom of having a snack around 3 p.m., similar to the concept of afternoon tea.