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cappuccino

American  
[kap-oo-chee-noh, kah-poo-, kahp-poot-chee-naw] / ˌkæp ʊˈtʃi noʊ, ˌkɑ pʊ-, ˌkɑp putˈtʃi nɔ /

noun

plural

cappuccinos

  1. a hot beverage consisting of espresso and foamed milk, often served with powdered cinnamon and topped with whipped cream.

cappuccino British  
/ ˌkæpʊˈtʃiːnəʊ /

noun

  1. coffee with steamed milk, sometimes served with whipped cream or sprinkled with powdered chocolate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cappuccino

First recorded in 1945–50; from Italian: literally, “capuchin,” so called from a fancied resemblance of the drink's color to the color of a Capuchin habit; Capuchin ( def. )

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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.

I did not, so I arranged to road-test the Breville Oracle Jet—a foolproof Cadillac for cappuccino lovers, I was told.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

It was a pale cream color, the texture of cappuccino foam.

From Salon • May 26, 2025

At nearby Cafe Noglish, owner Anne Britt, 56, is steaming milk to make a cappuccino.

From BBC • Oct. 18, 2024

It was approaching 100 degrees when David Fischer, a retired aerospace worker, walked into the Paradise Bistro & Coffee Co., a cultural and political crossroads of sorts, and ordered a cappuccino.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2024

I finish my cappuccino, pay for it, leave a tip for the imitation Italian waiter who served it to me.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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.