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coffee shop

American  

noun

  1. a small, usually inexpensive, restaurant where refreshments and light meals are served.

coffee shop British  

noun

  1. a shop where coffee is sold or drunk

"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 coffee shop

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

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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.

Sophie Downing only intended to buy a matcha latte when she visited her local coffee shop with a £10 gift card.

From BBC

There’s a thrill of anonymity that comes with walking through an airport far from your home, or stopping at a local coffee shop while driving through a town you’ve never been to.

From Salon

If you regularly work from coffee shops, travel often, or use airport Wi-Fi, a VPN provides valuable protection against potential threats on these networks.

From Salon

Topping the list is public WiFi protection: travelers and remote workers need to secure their data on hotel, coffee shop, and airport networks without paying for year-round protection they won’t use.

From Salon

After finishing the wall close to midday, she heads to a nearby coffee shop adorned with queer and pro-immigration signs.

From Los Angeles Times

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.