caffè macchiato

Or caf·fe mac·chia·to

[kaf-ey mak-yah-toh, mahk-, kahf-fe mahk-kyah-taw]

noun

plural

caffè macchiatos 

1. a hot beverage consisting of espresso and a small amount of foamed milk.

Word History and Origins

Origin of caffè macchiato¹

1985–90; < Italian: “stained (or spotted) coffee,” from caffè coffee ( def. ) + macchiato, perfect partciple of macchiare “to stain, spot,” from macchia “a stain, spot,” from Latin macula ( macula ( def. ), mackle ( def. ) )