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
The coffee giant hopes to reclaim its coffeehouse crown by focusing on speed, service, and operational efficiency.
—
Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
At a dinner party at our home, my husband left the table momentarily, and a guest picked up his mug of coffee to look at the novelty message on it.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
John Dutton has roped his last steer, guzzled his last cup of Taylor Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch coffee, gone off to that big pasture in the sky.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
Starbucks holiday menu 2023:Starbucks holiday menu 2023: Here's what to know about new cups, drinks, coffee, food
Starbucks 2024 holiday cup designs
The coffee company has also unveiled their holiday cup designs for 2024, USA TODAY reported.
—Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coffee 
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Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
At a dinner party at our home, my husband left the table momentarily, and a guest picked up his mug of coffee to look at the novelty message on it.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
John Dutton has roped his last steer, guzzled his last cup of Taylor Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch coffee, gone off to that big pasture in the sky.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
Starbucks holiday menu 2023:Starbucks holiday menu 2023: Here's what to know about new cups, drinks, coffee, food
Starbucks 2024 holiday cup designs
The coffee company has also unveiled their holiday cup designs for 2024, USA TODAY reported.
—Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coffee
Dictionary Entries Near coffee
Cite this Entry
“Coffee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coffee. Accessed 28 Nov. 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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