café

¹ American  

[ka-fey, kuh-, ka-fey] / kæˈfeɪ, kə-, kaˈfeɪ /

Or cafe

noun

plural

cafés

1. a small, unpretentious restaurant, often with exterior seating on a patio or extending onto the sidewalk.

   Synonyms:

   tearoom, lunchroom, bistro, coffeehouse

2. coffee.

   I pick up a café and a croissant on my commute in to work every morning.

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CAFE ² American  

[ka-fey, kuh-] / kæˈfeɪ, kə- /

noun

1. a U.S. federally mandated standard of average minimum miles-per-gallon fuel consumption for all the cars produced by an automobile manufacturer in a given year.

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café British  

/ ˈkæfeɪ, ˈkæfɪ /

noun

1. a small or inexpensive restaurant or coffee bar, serving light meals and refreshments

2. a corner shop or grocer

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Spelling

See resume ².

Etymology

Origin of café¹

First recorded in 1780–90; from French: literally, “coffee”; coffee

Origin of CAFE¹

C(orporate) A(verage) F(uel) E(conomy)

Compare meaning

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

• bistro vs. CAFE
• CAFE vs. coffee shop

Example Sentences

At his Mary & Robb’s Westwood Cafe — where the walls are adorned with decorative plates featuring American movie icons such as John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe — he conducted interviews all morning about the Sunday protest in Westwood, where he was in the crowd, just feet from the path of the U-Haul.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2022, his Persian Gulf Cafe in Westwood was vandalized, its glass front door shattered, after he shared images on Instagram of a memorial at the cafe honoring Iranian women in anti-government protests that year.

From Los Angeles Times

The Persian Gulf was vandalized last week, and owner Roozbeh Farahanipour says it’s due to a display at the cafe honoring women recently killed during protests in Iran.

From Los Angeles Times

At the vegan café whose name contains the word “Bloom” or “Blossom.”

From Salon

Stop by Fresco Italian Cafe and grab an Italian ice to enjoy while on the canal.

From Salon