latte

American  

[lah-tey, laht-te] / ˈlɑ teɪ, ˈlɑt tɛ /

noun

• lattes
  plural

1. Also called caffè latte.  hot espresso with steamed milk, usually topped with foamed milk.

2. tea made with steamed milk, usually topped with foamed milk.

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latte British  

/ ˈlɑːteɪ, ˈlæteɪ /

noun

1. coffee made with hot milk

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lattes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of latte

First recorded in 1990–95; from Italian (caffè) latte “(coffee with) milk,” from Latin lac (stem lact- ); cognate with French lait, Portuguese leite, Spanish leche

Compare meaning

How does latte compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cappuccino vs. latte

Explanation

A latte is a milky espresso drink you can order at most American cafes. Many lattes have delicate patterns or pictures drawn in the creamy foam on top. The full name of a latte is "caffe latte," which means "milk coffee" in Italian. Other countries have variations on this idea, from France's "café au lait" to Germany's "Milchkaffee." While Caffè latte was used in Italy for milky coffee drinks made in people's homes, it wasn't found until very recently on cafe menus — the latte is more of an American invention. If you order a latte in Italy, in fact, what you'll get is a glass of milk.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

latte lattes

On any typical day, Alexis Sicairos and his girlfriend have a line of patrons waiting to order a banana buzz latte or a cloud matcha at their Los Angeles coffee stand.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

I’ll get a little vanilla latte with oat milk, and I’ll stop at this stand, King’s Empanadas, because they make my favorite empanada in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

In Europe, you will get short shrift if you ask the barista for a nonfat, no-foam, vanilla-flavored double-shot latte.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

Behind him, a young man stepped over a heap of charred debris, taking care not to spill his latte macchiato.

From Barron's ● May 25, 2026

When we get inside, Emery hovers over the pastry counter while I order the same drink I always do, because a vanilla chai latte makes the world feel better.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

So for one week, I traded my beloved lattes for cans from a range of brands.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Starbucks is gearing up for a return of favorites such as pumpkin spice lattes in the fall and will begin testing sparkling beverages in a few markets, he said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

Customers are still approaching Dialog Cafe for their usual orders of breakfast burritos, lattes, wraps and cookies, many of which have gone viral on social media in recent years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

Meanwhile Rashique Siddique, director of How Matcha, says hojicha latte sales have "grown significantly" over the past year, with How Matcha now selling one or two cups for every five matcha lattes it sells.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

But then she decided that lattes weren’t the most interesting thing she could do.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny