Main Entry:

cof·fee

Pronunciation:

\ˈkȯ-fē, ˈkä-\

Function:

noun

Usage:

often attributive

Etymology:

Italian & Turkish; Italian caffè, from Turkish kahve, from Arabic qahwa

Date:

1598

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 c: coffee seeds especially roasted and often ground — compare arabica, robusta d: a dehydrated product made from brewed coffee <instant coffee> ; also : a beverage made from this2: a cup of coffee <two coffees>3: coffee hour

[coffee illustration]