espresso

American  

[e-spres-oh] / ɛˈsprɛs oʊ /

noun

• espressos
  plural

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

2. a cup of this coffee.

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espresso British  

/ ɛˈsprɛsəʊ /

noun

1. strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground coffee beans

2. an apparatus for making coffee in this way

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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!

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• espressos
  plural

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:

• expresso vs. espresso

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

espresso espressos

The one who can knock back a double espresso or even an energy drink in the evening and still drift off to sleep an hour or so later.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

When the topic of splurges has come up with other alumni, the most commonly cited item has been an espresso machine, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

After that, I’ll shoot over to Los Feliz and go to Maru Coffee and get either a cortado or the espresso, because it comes with a little sparkling water, and a croissant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Italian Darderi used a mid-match changeover to enjoy an espresso as he battled to a 4-6 6-3 7-5 win.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Sometimes he’d vary his routine and go on long walks, wandering with his memories near the caves in the Buda Hills—or he’d have an espresso on the terrace of the Hilton on Castle Hill.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

The first time I saw the U.S. and Canadian women play each other live, it felt as if someone had taken a standard hockey game, given it six espressos, and kicked it in the shins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026

She’s eaten croissants by the Eiffel Tower, drunk espressos outside the Colosseum and now, could it be time for fish and chips on the London Eye?

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2024

That's the equivalent of two espressos or four cups of instant coffee or eight cups of tea.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2023

To defend the plan, the government has criticised the cost of digital payments saying cafe owners can hardly accept cards for 1.1 euro a cup espressos.

From Reuters ● Dec. 19, 2022

Her expression was wide-eyed and a little crazy, like she’d just had twenty espressos and ridden a roller coaster, but that didn’t bother Leo.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• caffeine
• cappuccino