macchiato

American  

[mah-kee-ah-toh] / ˌmɑ kiˈɑ toʊ /

noun

plural

macchiatos

1. caffè macchiato or latte macchiato.

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macchiato British  

/ ˌmækɪˈɑːtəʊ /

noun

1. espresso coffee served with a dash of hot or cold milk

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Etymology

Origin of macchiato

Italian, literally: stained

Explanation

Ordering a macchiato in a cafe means asking for an espresso with a little bit of foamed milk on top. Your macchiato will come in a smaller cup than your friend's latte. If you like the strong coffee taste of espresso but want just a bit of frothy milk along with it, a macchiato might be the perfect drink for you. Or if you prefer steamed milk marked with a small amount of espresso, you could order a latte macchiato instead. In Italian, a caffè macchiato is "stained or marked coffee," from macchiare, "to stain, mark, or smear."

Example Sentences

On Wednesday, he treated himself to an oat-milk macchiato from the coffee shop down the street.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Plumlee, a bubbly cheer team captain and student body president at Modoc High School, sipped an iced oat milk caramel macchiato.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2023

Those issues come to the fore on Red Cup Day, Serrano said, when customers clamor for holiday drinks, such as the apple crisp oat milk macchiato, chestnut praline latte and sugar cookie almond milk latte.

From Washington Post • Nov. 17, 2022

A macchiato is a dialed-down version of a cappuccino.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2022

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