robusta

noun

ro·​bus·​ta rō-ˈbə-stə 

often attributive

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

Examples of robusta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There was a single café doling out bitter robusta brews and a small store dealing in pickled chicken feet and cans of off-brand Pringles. —Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026

The program spotlights Arabica in a country still better known for robusta, and uses various brewing methods, which guests can learn about and select for their coffee. —Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 22 Feb. 2026

Although farmers combated the fungus with a shift to supposedly resistant robusta crops in the 1950s, the reprieve was short-lived. —Lily Peck, The Conversation, 17 Feb. 2026

In warmer areas of Brazil where arabica can’t grow, coffee producers are finding ways to produce robusta and mitigate the impact of hotter temperatures. —Renata Carlos Daou, Fortune, 30 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin robusta, specific epithet of Coffea robusta, synonym of Coffea canephora

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1