café

noun, often attributive ca·fé \ ka-ˈfā , kə- \

variants: or less commonly cafe

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of café

1 : a usually small and informal establishment serving various refreshments (such as coffee); broadly : restaurant

2 : barroom

3 : cabaret, nightclub

See café defined for English-language learners

See café defined for kids

Examples of café in a Sentence

the café presents nationally known jazz performers in an intimate setting
a speakeasy that became a fashionable café with the repeal of prohibition

Recent Examples of café from the Web

Japan's Billboard Live is producing its first cafe and dining establishment, Billboard Cafe & Dining, which opened to coincide with the grand opening of the new Tokyo Midtown Hibiya building in central Tokyo on Thursday (March 29).

— billboard japan, Billboard, "Billboard Cafe & Dining by Japan's Billboard Live Opens in Central Tokyo," 29 Mar. 2018
Foxtail sources coffees from Central America, South America, and east Africa, roasting the beans in its original Winter Park cafe.

— lauren delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Foxtail Coffee opens new cafe April 4 in Altamonte Springs," 21 Mar. 2018
Vienna is famous for its coffee, and there's no place better to soak in the city's culture than one of its storied cafes.

— christine van blokland, USA TODAY, "Take Me Away: Vienna’s lush palaces and coffee houses," 21 Mar. 2018
The cat is out of the bag — Milwaukee will likely soon get its first cat cafe.

— mary spicuzza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Sip & Purr would be Milwaukee's first cat cafe after approval from Milwaukee Licenses Committee," 6 Mar. 2018
For months until December, Damascus was brimming with life, its cafes and restaurants packed with people and its streets jammed with traffic again.

— Washington Post, "As deadly shells fall, fear spreads anew in Syrian capital," 24 Feb. 2018
So, in 2015, the McGuires opened their first cafe in the northern Michigan tourist town of Free Soil.

— polly campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Ma and Pa's west side cafe cracking code on gluten-free cinnamon rolls," 16 Feb. 2018
EAT MacaneseRiquexoYou won’t find better Cozinha Macaista (homestyle Macanese) than what 102-year-old chef Aida de Jesus (and her daughter Sonya) is cooking at her humble cafe.

— craig cavallo, Condé Nast Traveler, "Macau, Beyond the Casino," 1 Feb. 2018
The 14 racks of dresses, now stored in a town building, will soon be taken to Southington High School for this year’s event in the freshman cafe.

— bill leukhardt, Courant Community, "Affordable Prom Dresses Available At Kristin's Kloset In Southington Friday, Saturday," 21 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'café.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of café

French café coffee, café, from Turkish kahve — more at coffee

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1802

See Words from the same year

café Synonyms

Synonyms

diner, eatery, grill, restaurant;

pizzeria;

coffeehouse, coffee shop, teahouse, tearoom;

bar, barroom, inn, tavern;

CAFE

abbreviation \ ka-ˈfā \

Definition of CAFE

corporate average fuel economy

Other Automotive Terms

articulated, block, choke, clutch, diesel, neutral, transmission

CAFÉ Defined for English Language Learners

café

noun

Definition of café for English Language Learners

: a small restaurant where you can get simple meals and drinks (such as coffee)

CAFÉ Defined for Kids

café

noun ca·fé

variants: also cafe \ka-ˈfā, kə-\

Definition of café for Students

: a small restaurant serving usually simple meals

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See words that rhyme with café Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for café Spanish Central: Translation of café

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café

Definition of café

Examples of café in a Sentence

Recent Examples of café from the Web

Origin and Etymology of café

café Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

CAFE

Definition of CAFE

Other Automotive Terms

CAFÉ Defined for English Language Learners

café

Definition of café for English Language Learners

CAFÉ Defined for Kids

café

Definition of café for Students

Learn More about café

Seen and Heard

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