café

1 of 2

noun

ca·​fé ka-ˈfā How to pronounce café (audio)
kə-
variants or less commonly cafe
often attributive
1
: a usually small and informal establishment serving various refreshments (such as coffee)
broadly : restaurant
2
3

CAFE

2 of 2

abbreviation

corporate average fuel economy

Examples of café in a Sentence

Noun 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 on the Web
Noun
Russian-run cafes and beauty salons have popped up around Buenos Aires in well-heeled Recoleta and trendy Palermo. Lucinda Elliott and Miguel Lo Bianco, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2024 Conversations turned to an invitation to bring a cafe to the arts collaborative. Journal Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2024 The ‘real story’ of downtown In early February, Bowser traveled to a new cafe near Farragut Square to promote coffee giveaways and restaurant specials downtown. Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The cafe and micro-bakery Hygge is known for its fun and ever-changing specials, like croissants with gingerbread and caramel or coconut cream with licorice and raspberry meringue. Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 14 Mar. 2024 The Rabbit Hole will have galleries that bring storybooks to life, plus a printing press, theater, a cafe and a bookstore. Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Just a few years later — thanks to the overwhelming support of the community — what started as a small group of individuals training and baking out of the home of founders Renee and John Ratcliffe will soon be a brick-and-mortar cafe. Laurie Larsh, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024 On Sunday, Porter hosted a capacity crowd at Manny’s, a community space and cafe in San Francisco’s Mission District, which included Anthony Lepe, 67. Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Sidewalk seating at the cafes and bars along South Beach’s Ocean Drive has become so familiar residents and tourists take it for granted. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'café.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of café was in 1802

Dictionary Entries Near café

Cite this Entry

“Café.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caf%C3%A9. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

café

noun
ca·​fé
variants also cafe
ka-ˈfā How to pronounce café (audio)
kə-
1
: a usually small restaurant
2
3
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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