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
Every dinner, every cup of coffee, every drive or evening out, feels important.
—
Joe Garcia, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Whipping up a loaf for breakfast, coffee, or dessert has never been easier—thaw the loaf, pop it in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2025
Our days starting with coffee in the makeup trailer, laughing and joking, right through to the very last day of filming.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
The bottom four performers during the three-year bull market are drugmaker Bristol Myers Squibb , down more than 36%; sports apparel icon Nike , down nearly 26%; as well as life sciences firm Danaher and coffee giant Starbucks , down nearly 9% each.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coffee
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Joe Garcia, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Whipping up a loaf for breakfast, coffee, or dessert has never been easier—thaw the loaf, pop it in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2025
Our days starting with coffee in the makeup trailer, laughing and joking, right through to the very last day of filming.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
The bottom four performers during the three-year bull market are drugmaker Bristol Myers Squibb , down more than 36%; sports apparel icon Nike , down nearly 26%; as well as life sciences firm Danaher and coffee giant Starbucks , down nearly 9% each.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 10 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 17 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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