Java

American  

[jah-vuh, jav-uh] / ˈdʒɑ və, ˈdʒæv ə /

noun

1. the main island of Indonesia. 51,032 sq. mi. (132,173 sq. km).

2. (usually lowercase) coffee.

   a cup of java.

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Trademark.

1. Digital Technology. a brand name for a high-level, object-oriented programming language used primarily to build web-based applications.

Java ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒɑːvə /

noun

1. Former spelling: Djawa. an island of Indonesia, south of Borneo, from which it is separated by the Java Sea : politically the most important island of Indonesia; it consists chiefly of active volcanic mountains and is densely forested. It came under Dutch control in 1596 and became part of Indonesia in 1949. It is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Capital: Jakarta. Pop (with Madura): 121 352 608 (2000 est). Area: 132 174 sq km (51 032 sq miles)

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Java ² British  

/ ˈdʒɑːvə /

noun

1. a programming language especially applicable to the Internet

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Java Cultural  

1. Island in Indonesia, south of Borneo.

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Discover More

Java is one of the world's most densely populated regions.

It was under Dutch rule from 1619 to 1949.

Etymology

Origin of Java

1550–60; of obscure origin; possibly from Sanskrit yāvadvīpa, yāvaka dvīpa “barley island” (the island was well known for the barley plant)

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Explanation

Java is an informal word for "coffee," so the next time you go out for breakfast, you can jauntily order a cup of java. In North America, java has been slang for "coffee" since about 1850. Java is a coffee-producing region of what was then the Dutch East Indies and is now Indonesia, and while the term originally referred to coffee grown in Java, by the 20th century it was shorthand for any coffee. If you use this word these days, you're just as likely to be talking about the computer programming language called Java.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Java

Five firefighters died in East Java last week after they were overwhelmed by smoke and flames in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

Four people died on Indonesia's Java island fighting the blazes that have been sending toxic smoke across southeast Asia, closing schools and fuelling a surge of respiratory complaints in the region, authorities said Friday.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Bechi is the son of prominent Islamic cleric Muhammad Mukhtar Mu'thi, founder of the Shiddiqiyyah Islamic boarding school in Jombang, East Java.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The high concentration of volcanic ash in the atmosphere forced the temporary closure of eight airports across Java and Sumatra.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

The carriages skirted the Street in Cairo—not yet open, another disappointment—and passed the Turkish Village and the Java Lunch Room.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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Related Words

• caffeine
• cappuccino
• espresso

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