espresso
Americannoun
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a strong coffee prepared by forcing live steam under pressure, or boiling water, through ground dark-roast coffee beans.
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a cup of this coffee.
noun
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strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground coffee beans
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an apparatus for making coffee in this way
Usage
What does espresso mean? Espresso is a kind of strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground, dark-roast coffee beans. The word espresso often refers to a cup of espresso, as in I like to have an espresso after dinner. It can also refer to an espresso machine, as in I got an espresso so now I can make my favorite drinks at home. Espresso is so strong that it’s usually served in a very small cup. Sometimes, people have a “shot” of espresso by itself or added to their coffee to make it stronger. A cappuccino is espresso with foamed milk. A somewhat common variant of espresso is expresso. More about that below. Example: When it comes to coffee, I love espresso—the stronger the better!
Etymology
Origin of espresso
First recorded in 1940–45; from Italian (caffè) espresso “pressed (coffee),” past participle of esprimere “to press out,” from Latin exprimere; see express ( def. )
Compare meaning
How does espresso compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Espresso is an Italian style of coffee that's brewed very strong and served in a small cup. When you add steamed milk to espresso, you get a latte or a cappuccino. Espresso is different from regular American coffee in many ways. It's typically made using dark roasted coffee beans that are very finely ground and brewed in a special espresso machine that forces hot water at high pressure through the ground coffee. The resulting espresso is dark, ideally with a layer of creamy-colored "crema" on the top. In Italian, espresso means "pressed out," from the Latin exprimere, "squeeze out."
Vocabulary lists containing espresso
The Melting Pot: Food Words from Other Languages
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The Thief Lord
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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.
And you can still make Proof’s chocolate espresso cake at home.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
Standing at the counter next to a crew of workmen, I sipped a latte and munched on a pastry as the smell of espresso and the sound of Italian greetings swirled around me.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
I always love to have a decaf espresso with dessert, which is either a brownie sundae or banana pudding.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
Plaid Cymru is represented by a mojito, the Conservatives by a raspberry daquiri, Reform by an espresso martini, the Greens by a pina colada, and the Lib Dems by an Irn-Bru vodka martini.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
“The Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the thrill of opening night on Broadway with my favorite musicomedy stars. Gab sessions in the Village over espresso with challenging, contemporary minds.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
