coffee

noun, often attributive

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cof·fee | \ ˈkȯ-fē

, ˈkä- \

Definition of coffee

1a : 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 this

2 : a cup of coffee two coffees

3 : coffee hour

Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about coffee

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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 Dad will definitely stand out while enjoying his coffee each morning and his favorite iced drink at night. — Jakob Schiller, Outside Online, 1 June 2021 Why not make one or two calls while brewing your morning coffee or walking the dog or whatever existing daily routine makes sense for you? — Eugene Litvak, Forbes, 1 June 2021 Our beloved morning coffee or tea would not exist without water, and of course, our beer — 90 to 95% of beer is water. — Star Tribune, 30 May 2021 Nespresso, a unit of Nestlé SA, plans to begin buying some of its coffee from El Salvador and Honduras with a minimum regional investment of $150 million by 2025. — Tarini Parti, WSJ, 27 May 2021 During Bill Clinton's tenure, Carter was often the first staff member the former President saw each day, as Carter would bring Clinton his morning coffee and newspaper. — Kate Bennett, CNN, 27 May 2021 Take your ice coffee to go in Igloo’s limited edition handheld cooler. — Brandt Ranj, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2021 In between reading his daily Aquarius horoscope and drinking his coffee for breakfast, Gabriel decides to investigate and find the killer for himself, while getting a sense of inspiration for his latest book. — Esther Mollica, Wired, 24 May 2021 Sometimes audiences were more interested in their coffee and their Kerouac than in seeing comedy. — David Peisner, Vulture, 21 May 2021

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