coffeehouse

American  

[kaw-fee-hous, kof-ee-] / ˈkɔ fiˌhaʊs, ˈkɒf i- /

noun

plural

coffeehouses

1. a public place that specializes in serving coffee and other refreshments and that sometimes provides informal entertainment.

2. (in 17th- and 18th-century England) a similar establishment where groups met for a particular purpose, as for informal discussions or card playing.

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verb (used without object)

coffeehoused, coffeehousing

1. Informal. to engage in aimless talk or chitchat.

2. Cards. to make remarks and gestures during play with the purpose of misleading opponents as to the cards one holds.

Other Word Forms

• coffeehouser noun

Etymology

Origin of coffeehouse

First recorded in 1605–15; coffee + house

Example Sentences

The beginning of my professional trajectory was spent in Paris, and there is such a coffeehouse culture in Paris, no?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Consider Joseph Morgan III. Born in 1780 into a Welsh immigrant family that became successful Massachusetts farmers, he sold the farm and invested in a Hartford, Conn., coffeehouse and stagecoach line.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

“Every coffeehouse we operate should be warm and welcoming and provide a place for customers to connect and gather,” Niccol said during a conference call discussing the retailer’s third-quarter financial results.

From Slate • Dec. 22, 2025

It’s not that unusual to see a famous face at the local coffeehouse, supermarket or power-walking along San Vicente Boulevard.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

Once a week she makes thirty samosas to sell at the international coffeehouse, for twenty-five cents each, next to the linzer squares baked by Mrs. Etzold, and baklava by Mrs. Cassolis.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• coffee bar