latte
Americannoun
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lattes
plural
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Also called caffè latte. hot espresso with steamed milk, usually topped with foamed milk.
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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
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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:
“I think the angst — it’s anger, and sadness,” Korn says as she takes a sip of her matcha latte.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
We felt the best way for people to understand what oat milk is is to go to your coolest cafe, get a cool barista who pours you a perfect latte or cappuccino with oat milk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Behind him, a young man stepped over a heap of charred debris, taking care not to spill his latte macchiato.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
With my half-caf almond milk latte, I complete the problem behaviors deck.
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
“I can give up my morning latte and afternoon sugar fix. And maybe we could even ask Gran for an extra loan, but...”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
So for one week, I traded my beloved lattes for cans from a range of brands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 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
Customers are still approaching Dialog Cafe for their usual orders of breakfast burritos, lattes, wraps and cookies, many of which have gone viral on social media in recent years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
The flippant-sounding messages - as well as seeing these larger-than-life personalities sipping lattes around the courthouse - could make them seem a little less important.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
But then she decided that lattes weren’t the most interesting thing she could do.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
