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coffee

American  
[kaw-fee, kof-ee] / ˈkɔ fi, ˈkɒf i /

noun

  1. a beverage consisting of a decoction or infusion of the roasted ground or crushed seeds coffeebeans of the two-seeded fruit coffeeberry of certain coffee trees.

  2. the seeds or fruit themselves.

  3. any tropical tree or shrub of the genus Coffea, of the madder family, especially C. arabica and C. canephora, cultivated commercially.

  4. a cup of coffee.

    We ordered four coffees and three doughnuts.

  5. a social gathering at which coffee and other refreshments are served.

  6. medium to dark brown.

adjective

  1. coffee-colored.

coffee British  
/ ˈkɒfɪ /

noun

    1. a drink consisting of an infusion of the roasted and ground or crushed seeds of the coffee tree

    2. ( as modifier )

      coffee grounds

  2. Also called: coffee beans.  the beanlike seeds of the coffee tree, used to make this beverage

  3. short for coffee tree

    1. a medium to dark brown colour

    2. ( as adjective )

      a coffee carpet

  5. See wake 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of coffee

1590–1600; < Italian caff è < Turkish kahve < Arabic qahwah

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It has a smoothie and coffee bar and a seating area where a group of local women gathers every Wednesday to play mahjong.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dutch Bros, a coffee and beverage chain still unknown in many parts of the country, is becoming a thorn in Starbucks’s side.

From The Wall Street Journal

With her list of unknowns complete, Adhikari and her husband each brought their laptops to a coffee shop in January.

From The Wall Street Journal

Could something as common as coffee play a role in treating cancer?

From Science Daily

The department said that the coffee shop was closer to his home compared to being released "directly from the Border Patrol station" and it was determined to be "a warm, safe location".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.