java

noun

ja·​va ˈja-və  ˈjä- 

-vē

variants or less commonly Java

1

: coffee

2

usually Java : arabica coffee beans of plants grown in Java, Indonesia that produce a usually full-bodied coffee of low to medium acidity

Examples of java in a Sentence

a hot cup of java

Recent Examples on the Web

But all three of Ina Garten’s best brownie recipes use a type of java that packs even more flavor than a cup of joe. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2025

Most java lovers are familiar with ground coffee: roasted coffee beans that have been ground for use in a coffee machine. —Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2025

Dutch Bros Coffee, a java chain with something of a cult following, wants to lock down its first suburban Chicago location in Naperville. —Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025

Arabica rules—more than 150 million people in this country jump-start their day with a java jolt. —Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Java, island of Indonesia

First Known Use

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for java

• cava
• fava
• guava
• jahveh
• lava
• balaclava
• cassava

Geographical Definition

Java

geographical name

Ja·​va ˈjä-və 

ˈja-

variants or Indonesian Djawa

ˈjä-və 

island of Indonesia in the Greater Sunda Islands southeast of Sumatra and south of Borneo between the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean; chief city Jakarta area 51,007 square miles (132,618 square kilometers), population 107,581,306