espresso

noun espres·so \ e-ˈspre-(ˌ)sō \

variants: or less commonly expresso play \ik-ˈspre-(ˌ)sō\

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Definition of espresso

plural espressos

1 : coffee brewed by forcing steam or hot water through finely ground darkly roasted coffee beans

2 : a cup of espresso

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espresso was our Word of the Day on 11/03/2012. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of espresso from the Web

My favorite sweet, however, was the restrained affogatto — a shot of espresso poured over vanilla gelato.

— kate washington, sacbee, "It's not flashy or splashy, but Roseville's Ciao excels at cooking classic Italian," 8 June 2018
Dessert is blueberry hand pie and a shot of espresso.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "3 New L.A. Restaurants You Have to Try This June," 31 May 2018
It was called Americano, Americano, and combined at least three meanings of the word: a highball, an Italian aperitif wine and a diluted shot of espresso.

— New York Times, "Red-Sauce Italian Cooking Finds a Future at Don Angie," 29 May 2018
And is Jentadueto a drug name or a complicated espresso drink?

— damian garde, STAT, "LISTEN: Inside the Theranos collapse, Valeant’s latest legal lumps, and a bunch of biotech hot takes," 17 May 2018
The Goo Goo Cluster Latte is a delightful blend of rich espresso and steamed milk combined with caramel, milk chocolate, peanut and nougat flavors.

— perri ormont blumberg, Southern Living, "Cracker Barrel's New Drink Is a Southerner's Dream Come True," 16 May 2018
The affogato arrived with a punchy shot of espresso to pour over hazelnut gelato.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "Lupa, the replacement for Petit Louis in Columbia, will make you want to return," 26 Apr. 2018
Another customer favorite is The Caffeinated, a vanilla latte with two extra shots of espresso and steamed milk with caramel, chocolate and white chocolate drizzle.

— hannah kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "What's better at Caffeinated Café in Mukwonago, the coffee or the food? Answer: It might just be the people!," 11 Apr. 2018
The Ferrari Brothers, Tony and Austin, are taking over the Garfield Place barbershop owned and operated by their family for more than 50 years and bringing their knowledge of espresso to the corner.

— polly campbell, Cincinnati.com, "New and noted: Brunch at Salazar, Sleepy Bee Downtown open for business, ice cream beer redux," 1 Feb. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of espresso

Italian (caffè) espresso, probably literally, coffee made on the spot at the customer's request

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1945

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

ESPRESSO Defined for English Language Learners

espresso

noun

Definition of espresso for English Language Learners

: strong coffee that is made by forcing steam through finely ground roasted coffee beans

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Spanish Central: Translation of espresso Nglish: Translation of espresso for Spanish speakers

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espresso

Definition of espresso

espresso was our Word of the Day on 11/03/2012. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of espresso from the Web

Origin and Etymology of espresso

ESPRESSO Defined for English Language Learners

espresso

Definition of espresso for English Language Learners

Learn More about espresso

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Definition of espresso

espresso was our Word of the Day on 11/03/2012. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of espresso from the Web

Origin and Etymology of espresso

ESPRESSO Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of espresso for English Language Learners

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