caffè macchiato

or caf·fe mac·chia·to

[kaf-ey mak-yah-to, mahk-; Italian kahf-fe mahk-kyah-taw]

noun, plural caf·fè mac·chia·tos.

a hot beverage consisting of espresso and a small amount of foamed milk.

Origin of caffè macchiato

1985–90; < Italian: “stained (or spotted) coffee,” fromcaffè coffee + macchiato, perfect partciple of macchiare “to stain, spot,” from macchia “a stain, spot,” from Latin macula (see macula, mackle)

Also called mac·chia·to.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for macchiato

macchiato

noun plural -tos

espresso coffee served with a dash of hot or cold milk

Word Origin for macchiato

Italian, literally: stained

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012