What exactly does "brew" mean in brewing tea?

What exactly does "brew" mean in brewing tea?

Here’s a link to many opinions:  https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080217194859AAAzFzp

My bottom line is that 3 to 5 minutes is often good enough for most kinds of tea that we might make. 

Now that can be traditional teas or even teas as from local dandelions we get in the yard. Now during the winter, the pickings are slim, so some stockpiling does help me.

And one can even put “tea leaves” in an “infuser”, like a little container with holes in it that you then put into hot or boiling water, to do the “brewing”. If you have to, I think just making the tea version of Cowboy coffee will work, too. 

Having done security patrols when it is cold, dark, and snowing, thinking of a warm tea or broth to have at the end of the patrol is very good for morale, and accomplishment of the mission. Now I know the conditions will be miserable, but as a Marine, that is a good time to do whatever you intend to do. Hopefully, the enemy we are defending from has let their “guard” down during these kinds of conditions. Of course we may have done so, also. And the enemy can be both human and wildlife.

Last, to only be on the defense cedes many advantages to an enemy.  So in the case of security patrolling one can insert many ways to add the offense to a defense. Now the problem is difficult, often needs some improvising based on the situation, and is a constant challenge to any security chief worth their weight in gold or whatever.

And a PPS. One can spice up any warm drink. The dilemma is that some cannot take spices very well. So best case have some mild or no spice warm drink or broth, and also offer a spicier kind of warm drink or broth for those so inclined. In the end, it is the food value and the warmth. To reduce the offer to one “lowest common denominator” is often well intended, and also counterproductive in the end. Mountaineers in the often bitter cold places they might go know this better than I do.

It is a difficult and often thankless task, and the thought of a warm tea, coffee, or broth at the end of the patrol is very important to morale and accomplishment of the patrol mission. This idea will apply during warmer times, too.