latte
Americannoun
-
lattes
plural
-
Also called caffè latte. hot espresso with steamed milk, usually topped with foamed milk.
-
tea made with steamed milk, usually topped with foamed milk.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of latte
First recorded in 1990–95; from Italian (caffè) latte “(coffee with) milk,” from Latin lac (stem lact- ); cognate with French lait, Portuguese leite, Spanish leche
Compare meaning
How does latte compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A latte is a milky espresso drink you can order at most American cafes. Many lattes have delicate patterns or pictures drawn in the creamy foam on top. The full name of a latte is "caffe latte," which means "milk coffee" in Italian. Other countries have variations on this idea, from France's "café au lait" to Germany's "Milchkaffee." While Caffè latte was used in Italy for milky coffee drinks made in people's homes, it wasn't found until very recently on cafe menus — the latte is more of an American invention. If you order a latte in Italy, in fact, what you'll get is a glass of milk.
Vocabulary lists containing latte
Brown
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Starfish
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
See Examples For:
The Starbucks items featuring the “Peanuts” characters — known for animated classics like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” — were intended to promote the return of Starbucks’s pumpkin-spice latte.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
Cabs can now smell like Axe body spray, a Dunkin’ latte or Downy fabric softener.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Hoping to inspire her UK followers to experiment with the vegetable, she made a sweetcorn latte inspired by a frappé drink she'd had on her trip, using coconut milk, blended sweetcorn and espresso.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Investors need to be on their guard against the pumpkin-spice latte effect, which is about to rear its ugly head.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Grover trotted around with a full plate of tin cans and enchiladas, and his goblet was full of double espresso latte, which he kept muttering over like an incantation: “Pan! Pan!”
From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan
With matcha lattes in hand, attendees walked around the synthetic turf filming content.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
This is a remix of the lecture supposedly spoiled millennials, who refused to sacrifice every small pleasure on the altar of homeownership, heard for years about $7 lattes.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
It is also trying to appeal to "new and younger customers" through its new iced matcha lattes, and to health-conscious consumers by making nutritional information on its labels clearer.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Starbucks is gearing up for a return of favorites such as pumpkin spice lattes in the fall and will begin testing sparkling beverages in a few markets, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
My Jilly Bean was gone and in her place was Jillian, who griped about not being able to find any iced caramel macchiato lattes made with oat milk.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
