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

“Your Caramel Macchiato looks so good, it’s one of my favorites,” they say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 20, 2025

Taking a lighter note was Estonia's Tommy Cash, whose quirky anthem Espresso Macchiato was interrupted by a "stage invader" - actually a dancer who replicated his noodle-limbed dance moves.

From BBC • May 13, 2025

Emily Lien, a longtime manager at Macchiato, first learned about cupsleeve events when the cafe started hosting them at both its Monterey Park and downtown L.A. locations last year.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2023

This summer, while on her way to a water park, she recalled stopping by Starbucks to grab a hot Caramel Macchiato, despite temperatures around 90 degrees.

From New York Times • Sep. 8, 2022

For others, their version of lipstick might be cheap beer or a $5 Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, which reported record revenue in August for its fiscal third quarter.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 4, 2022