espresso
Americannoun
plural
espressos-
a strong coffee prepared by forcing live steam under pressure, or boiling water, through ground dark-roast coffee beans.
-
a cup of this coffee.
noun
-
strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground coffee beans
-
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; express ( def. )
Compare meaning
How does espresso compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
Giovanni Colli, 71, rolling his eyes while sipping an espresso at a café near the Pantheon, says he feels "betrayed."
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
The hitters of lovable Team Italy celebrated home runs with shots of Italian espresso in a dugout dripping with cheek kisses and caffeine.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026
He happily chugged all three shots of espresso.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
Sales from cooking and beverage appliances and food preparation appliances also saw double-digit growth, driven by strong sales of the company’s Ninja Luxe Café espresso machine and its frozen drinks sub-category.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
Myrna would choke on her espresso when she saw’ this.
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.
