Illustration of coffee
- coffee 1b
often attributive
1
a
: a beverage made by percolation, infusion, or decoction from the roasted and ground seeds of a coffee plant
b
: any of several Old World tropical plants (genus Coffea and especially C. arabica and C. canephora) of the madder family that are widely cultivated in warm regions for their seeds from which coffee is prepared
d
: a dehydrated product made from brewed coffee
instant coffee
also
: a beverage made from this
2
: a cup of coffee
two coffees
3
Did you know?
Coffee is made from the roasted and ground seeds, or beans, of the coffee plant, a tropical evergreen shrub. Two of the 25 or more species, Arabica and Robusta, supply most of the world's coffee. Arabica is grown in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Indonesia; Robusta mainly in Africa. The shrub bears small white flowers with a jasmine-like fragrance. The fruit, which is red when mature, is called a cherry. The seed is called a bean. Coffee contains large amounts of caffeine, whose effects have always been an important element in the drink's popularity. Coffee-drinking dates from the 15th century in Arabia. It reached Europe by the 17th century and immediately became popular. Coffee is consumed by about one-third of the world's population.
Examples of coffee in a Sentence
I bought a pound of coffee.
Recent Examples on the Web
Many reviewers that drink coffee, black tea, and red wine raved about their results.
—
Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2024
Linger over sunny breakfasts and Hawkins’ excellent espresso coffees, tap into the wine wall (mostly Australian labels, plus Champagne) at lunch, and then see where the afternoons lead you — perhaps lounging poolside, taking a siesta, or hiking nearby Hinchinbrook Island.
—Kendall Hill, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2024
Inside the encampment, a few people served coffee, water and food.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
Champagne, coffee, juice, tea, soft drinks and milk are included.
—Journal Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2024
From under a black felt cowboy hat, hair blacker than coffee runs to the collar of his black shirt.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 25 Apr. 2024
Look especially for a delectable offering of pastries, coffees, teas and other non-savory treats.
—Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2024
Combine oil, coffee, and maple extract in another bowl.
—Judy Bart Kancigor, Orange County Register, 25 Apr. 2024
And, of course, good old Randy's Roast drip coffee.
—The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2024
Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2024
Linger over sunny breakfasts and Hawkins’ excellent espresso coffees, tap into the wine wall (mostly Australian labels, plus Champagne) at lunch, and then see where the afternoons lead you — perhaps lounging poolside, taking a siesta, or hiking nearby Hinchinbrook Island.
—Kendall Hill, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2024
Inside the encampment, a few people served coffee, water and food.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
Champagne, coffee, juice, tea, soft drinks and milk are included.
—Journal Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2024
From under a black felt cowboy hat, hair blacker than coffee runs to the collar of his black shirt.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 25 Apr. 2024
Look especially for a delectable offering of pastries, coffees, teas and other non-savory treats.
—Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2024
Combine oil, coffee, and maple extract in another bowl.
—Judy Bart Kancigor, Orange County Register, 25 Apr. 2024
And, of course, good old Randy's Roast drip coffee.
—The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coffee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near coffee
Cite this Entry
“Coffee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coffee. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coffee
noun
cof·fee
ˈkȯ-fē 
ˈkäf-ē
1
: a drink made from the roasted and ground seeds of a tropical tree or shrub related to the madder
2
: coffee seeds or a plant producing them
3
: a cup of coffee
two coffees
Etymology
from Italian caffè "coffee" and Turkish kahve "coffee," both from Arabic qaḥwa "coffee"
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