espresso
Americannoun
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a strong coffee prepared by forcing live steam under pressure, or boiling water, through ground dark-roast coffee beans.
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a cup of this coffee.
noun
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strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground coffee beans
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an apparatus for making coffee in this way
Usage
What does espresso mean? Espresso is a kind of strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground, dark-roast coffee beans. The word espresso often refers to a cup of espresso, as in I like to have an espresso after dinner. It can also refer to an espresso machine, as in I got an espresso so now I can make my favorite drinks at home. Espresso is so strong that it’s usually served in a very small cup. Sometimes, people have a “shot” of espresso by itself or added to their coffee to make it stronger. A cappuccino is espresso with foamed milk. A somewhat common variant of espresso is expresso. More about that below. Example: When it comes to coffee, I love espresso—the stronger the better!
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of espresso
First recorded in 1940–45; from Italian (caffè) espresso “pressed (coffee),” past participle of esprimere “to press out,” from Latin exprimere; see express ( def. )
Compare meaning
How does espresso compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Espresso is an Italian style of coffee that's brewed very strong and served in a small cup. When you add steamed milk to espresso, you get a latte or a cappuccino. Espresso is different from regular American coffee in many ways. It's typically made using dark roasted coffee beans that are very finely ground and brewed in a special espresso machine that forces hot water at high pressure through the ground coffee. The resulting espresso is dark, ideally with a layer of creamy-colored "crema" on the top. In Italian, espresso means "pressed out," from the Latin exprimere, "squeeze out."
Vocabulary lists containing espresso
The Melting Pot: Food Words from Other Languages
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The Thief Lord
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The "Manchild" singer made her Coachella debut in 2024, the year she released her catchy summer hit "Espresso."
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Fans of Reverie Roasters’ Boneshaker Espresso blend are familiar with the sticker shock that has hit coffee prices nationwide.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
TJ’s Coffee Lover’s Espresso Beans feature 100% Arabica beans from Brazil that are coated in dark, milk and white chocolates.
From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025
The star, 55, danced to a medley of hits including Eilish's Birds of a Feather, Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso and Beyoncé's Texas Hold 'Em.
From BBC • May 27, 2025
Espresso, Dr. Gloss op said, has three times the caffeine of regular coffee.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
