espresso

[e-spres-oh]

See more synonyms for espresso on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural es·pres·sos.

a strong coffee prepared by forcing live steam under pressure, or boiling water, through ground dark-roast coffee beans.
a cup of this coffee.

Origin of espresso

1940–45; < Italian (caffè) espresso pressed (coffee)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for espresso

cappuccino, espresso, caffeine, perk, mud, brew, java, decaf, decoction, mocha, demitasse, ink, joe

Examples from the Web for espresso

Contemporary Examples of espresso

Available at Anova Aeropress Coffee Espresso Maker, $26 Every year, there seems to be a new favorite coffee maker.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Richard Hendriks in Your Life
Allison McNearney
November 29, 2014
Espresso breaks are common in Palermo, especially at the elegant, old world Antico Caffe Spinnato.
Palermo Is Not Just for the Mafia Anymore
Alia Akkam
August 18, 2014
At home, I start the day by scooping out a couple of heaping tablespoons of Starbucks espresso roast into my Breville machine.
The Starbucks Shutdown Petition Is Baloney
Daniel Gross
October 11, 2013
Two cups of espresso before walking the dog and reading the Arts section of The New York Times.
How I Write: Elena Gorokhova
Noah Charney
August 2, 2012
According to Lowe, Farley “has a shot of espresso before every closeup” and also has a gargantuan appetite.
Rob Lowe's Memoir Revealed
Marlow Stern
April 25, 2011

British Dictionary definitions for espresso

espresso

noun plural -sos

strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground coffee beans
an apparatus for making coffee in this way

Word Origin for espresso

C20: Italian, short for caffè espresso, literally: pressed coffee

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

Word Origin and History for espresso

1945, from Italian caffe espresso, from espresso "pressed out," from past participle of esprimere, from Latin exprimere "press out" (see express). In reference to the steam pressure.