matcha

noun

ˈmä-chə 

ˈma-

plural matchas

: a green powder made from ground green tea leaves that is used to make tea and other beverages and as a flavoring agent

Our meal began with matcha, the traditional green tea of the tea ceremony. The powder is spooned into a ceramic bowl, hot water added and the mixture whisked to a frothy jade.

—Alan Brown

Walk into a coffee shop or peruse Instagram and you're sure to have seen a matcha latte.

—Alysha Witwicki

also : tea made from matcha

At the time, he often experienced midafternoon malaise and began drinking hot matcha on his brother's recommendation.

—Jill Radsken

Examples of matcha in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The chain is set to land on the West Coast on Friday, serving strawberry shortcake matchas and cherry glaze cold brew lattes to an invite-only crowd at Kendall Jenner’s 818 Outpost at Coachella. —Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026

While Capy Cafe has not released its final menu, Nguyen said his favorite item is the matcha latte, which consists of matcha, milk, foam and an optional sweetener. —Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026

British Vogue’s Morgan Fargo swears by a scoop into her morning matcha or smoothie. —Brianna Peters, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2026

Together, matcha and chamomile may support digestion and reduce inflammation. —Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Japanese, from mat-, form in compounding of matsu "to rub, daub, paint" + cha "tea"

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above