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
But a handful of brave patrons made their way to one local Waffle House on Wednesday morning – bundled up, clutching fresh cups of coffee to warm their hands for the walk back home.
—
John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025
David Lynch didn’t want to leave his viewers with an interpretation, but with something more visceral—like the taste of cherry pie and a cup of hot coffee, black as midnight on a moonless night.
—Emma Stefansky, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025
Consider drinking local wine and beer rather than imports—or simply make the switch to Turkish coffee and çay (tea) which tend to be much more popular among locals.
—Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Freaking Out: 'Obsessed' Joe is a big fan of London and has previously shared his favorite places to get coffee and pizza, as well as his favorite restaurant and bar, with YouTubers TOPJAW.
—Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for coffee 
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John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025
David Lynch didn’t want to leave his viewers with an interpretation, but with something more visceral—like the taste of cherry pie and a cup of hot coffee, black as midnight on a moonless night.
—Emma Stefansky, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025
Consider drinking local wine and beer rather than imports—or simply make the switch to Turkish coffee and çay (tea) which tend to be much more popular among locals.
—Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Freaking Out: 'Obsessed' Joe is a big fan of London and has previously shared his favorite places to get coffee and pizza, as well as his favorite restaurant and bar, with YouTubers TOPJAW.
—Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025
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 27 Jan. 2025.
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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