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coffee shop

American  

noun

  1. a small, usually inexpensive, restaurant where refreshments and light meals are served.

coffee shop British  

noun

  1. a shop where coffee is sold or drunk

"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 shop

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

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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.

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

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

In addition to “Comedy & ‘Therapy,’ ” the coffee shop also hosts open mic nights, art walks and networking panels, among other events.

From Los Angeles Times

Sophie Downing only intended to buy a matcha latte when she visited her local coffee shop with a £10 gift card.

From BBC

There’s a thrill of anonymity that comes with walking through an airport far from your home, or stopping at a local coffee shop while driving through a town you’ve never been to.

From Salon

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.