Illustration of coffee
- coffee 1b
often attributive
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
d
: a dehydrated product made from brewed coffee
instant coffee
also
: a beverage made from this
2
: a cup of coffee
two coffees
3
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
Long before celebrity chefs and social media buzz, the city’s neighborhoods were dotted with coffee counters, family-run diners and grand dining rooms.
—
Elissa Robinson, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Like the third lukewarm coffee of an afternoon — the taste is just there, just beyond reach.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Decades later, not only is the coffee from Luke's Diner still piping hot, but so are the careers of the series' cast, who have gone on to star in popular TV series and blockbuster movies since the show ended.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
My frustration arose in the smaller tasks, a few dishes here, day-old coffee in the pot there, a small stack of mail on the countertop, dead leaves falling off a plant, and more.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coffee
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Elissa Robinson, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Like the third lukewarm coffee of an afternoon — the taste is just there, just beyond reach.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Decades later, not only is the coffee from Luke's Diner still piping hot, but so are the careers of the series' cast, who have gone on to star in popular TV series and blockbuster movies since the show ended.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
My frustration arose in the smaller tasks, a few dishes here, day-old coffee in the pot there, a small stack of mail on the countertop, dead leaves falling off a plant, and more.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coffee
Cite this Entry
“Coffee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coffee. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coffee
noun
cof·fee
ˈkȯ-fē 
ˈkäf-ē
1
: a drink made from the roasted and ground seeds of a tropical tree or shrub related to the madder
2
: coffee seeds or a plant producing them
3
: a cup of coffee
two coffees
Etymology
from Italian caffè "coffee" and Turkish kahve "coffee," both from Arabic qaḥwa "coffee"
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