robusta

noun, often attributive ro·bus·ta \ rō-ˈbə-stə \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Definition of robusta

1 : a hardy shrub or tree (Coffea canephora) that is indigenous to central Africa but has been introduced elsewhere (as in Java) and yields seeds that form a usually lower quality coffee of commerce than that of arabica

2 : the seeds of robusta especially roasted and often ground

Recent Examples of robusta from the Web

As an added benefit, farmers tend to use less pesticides when growing the resistant robusta.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "Coffee Growing Can Be Good For Birds No Matter What Bean You Choose," 21 Feb. 2018
Because more farmers in the area have been shifting to robusta in recent years due to price and ease of growing, Weintraub writes, this is an important finding.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "Coffee Growing Can Be Good For Birds No Matter What Bean You Choose," 21 Feb. 2018
Death Wish is billed as the world's strongest coffee, made from a blend of organic, fair-trade robusta and arabica beans primarily from India and Peru, which contain 200 percent more caffeine than the average coffee blend.

— kellie hwang, azcentral, "Death Wish Coffee, world's strongest coffee, coming to Walmart in Arizona," 26 Apr. 2018
While the cost of coffee varies widely with quality and the country of origin, that would amount to about $1.3 billion a year based on the current price of robusta futures.

— Bloomberg.com, "Buy Now, Pay Later Helps JAB Billionaires Build Beverage Empire," 30 Jan. 2018
Arabica makes up about 60 percent of global coffee supplies, with lower-quality robusta beans accounting for the rest.

— marcy nicholson, The Christian Science Monitor, "Where conflict once reigned in Colombia, coffee beans now grow," 20 Oct. 2017
Unfortunately, robusta is uniformly acknowledged to not taste that great.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "Coffee vs. climate change: The news is not good," 13 Sep. 2017
While some coffee roasters add robusta to their highly secretive blends, premium brands are typically 100 percent mild arabica.

— marcy nicholson, The Christian Science Monitor, "Where conflict once reigned in Colombia, coffee beans now grow," 20 Oct. 2017
Leaf rust, a fungal disease that affects both arabica and robusta plants, is also devastating the industry.

— marvin g perez, Bloomberg.com, "The Scientists Fighting to Save Us From a World Without Coffee," 28 Apr. 2017

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