barista

American  

[buh-ris-tuh, -ree-stuh, bah-rees-tah] / bəˈrɪs tə, -ˈri stə, bɑ ris tɑ /

noun

• baristas,
  plural
• baristi
  plural

1. a person who is specially trained in the making and serving of coffee drinks, as in a coffee bar.

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barista British  

/ bəˈrɪstə /

noun

1. a person who makes and serves coffee in a coffee bar

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• baristas
  plural
• baristi
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of barista

First recorded in 1980–85; from Italian: “bartender,” from bar bar ¹ ( def. ) (a loanword from English) + Italian -ista -ist ( def. )

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Explanation

A barista is a café employee who specializes in coffee drinks, especially espresso. The person who makes your half-caf vanilla caramel latte is a barista. In Italy, a barista is a "bartender serving coffee drinks, alcoholic drinks, and snacks." The word was adopted by English-speakers around 1992, at the start of the craze for espresso bars and cafés outside of Italy. If a restaurant only serves drip coffee, the person making it isn't called a barista. An espresso machine, on the other hand, requires a barista. If your specialty coffee drink is always delicious and served with a smile, be sure to tip your barista!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

barista baristas

The barista had asked a perfectly ordinary question.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

Nor is it loud and dry like that of a severely under-caffeinated customer who’s annoyed that the barista is holding up the line to chat with a regular.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

He splits his time between barista shifts and UGC campaigns: about five hours of the latter a week earns him between $1,000 and $2,000 each month, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

Should a barista want the coffee to stay hotter for longer - if a customer requests extra hot - it can be served at over 82 degrees C, says MTPak Coffee.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

The barista brought them their food, and they sipped on their ponche and ate sandwiches as they talked.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

A New York Wheels is a macadamia almond milk iced latte to go — “wheels” is the lingo the baristas there use for “to go.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

The friendly baristas at the coffee shop—talented at pulling a cortado—smiled when I brought his name up in conversation.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

The baristas, who sell elaborate fruit and cake-themed concoctions, are supposed to connect with customers as "brand ambassadors".

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

Starbucks is pitching a new $1,200 bonus to its workers — but many of the coffee chain’s baristas claim the reward is out of reach.

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026

Despite the baristas attempts to calm him, Donald refuses to leave until he gets what he wants, prepared exactly the way he wants it.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

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