espresso

American  

[e-spres-oh] / ɛˈsprɛs oʊ /

noun

espressos plural

1. a strong coffee prepared by forcing live steam under pressure, or boiling water, through ground dark-roast coffee beans.

2. a cup of this coffee.

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espresso British  

/ ɛˈsprɛsəʊ /

noun

1. strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground coffee beans

2. an apparatus for making coffee in this way

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Usage

What does espresso mean? Espresso is a kind of strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground, dark-roast coffee beans. The word espresso often refers to a cup of espresso, as in I like to have an espresso after dinner. It can also refer to an espresso machine, as in I got an espresso so now I can make my favorite drinks at home. Espresso is so strong that it’s usually served in a very small cup. Sometimes, people have a “shot” of espresso by itself or added to their coffee to make it stronger. A cappuccino is espresso with foamed milk. A somewhat common variant of espresso is expresso. More about that below. Example: When it comes to coffee, I love espresso—the stronger the better!

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• espressos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of espresso

First recorded in 1940–45; from Italian (caffè) espresso “pressed (coffee),” past participle of esprimere “to press out,” from Latin exprimere; see express ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does espresso compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• expresso vs. espresso

Explanation

Espresso is an Italian style of coffee that's brewed very strong and served in a small cup. When you add steamed milk to espresso, you get a latte or a cappuccino. Espresso is different from regular American coffee in many ways. It's typically made using dark roasted coffee beans that are very finely ground and brewed in a special espresso machine that forces hot water at high pressure through the ground coffee. The resulting espresso is dark, ideally with a layer of creamy-colored "crema" on the top. In Italian, espresso means "pressed out," from the Latin exprimere, "squeeze out."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

espresso espressos

We’re barely one week into the three-week race, and four-time champ Tadej Pogacar has enough time on his rivals to stop and have an espresso and a chocolatine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

They reminisce about the brown bread: those sweet, dark little wheat loaves scented with honey, molasses, cocoa powder and espresso.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Robusta, the cheaper and more bitter bean often used in instant coffee and espresso blends, was especially squeezed by poor weather in Vietnam.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

And a few months later, in November of that year, £354.70 was shelled out on an assortment of Le Creuset espresso and cappuccino mugs in the space of just four days.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

The espresso counter is either fake or real dark-green marble; it has a cute canopy over it, someone’s idea of Italy, and little swivel stools.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

The first time I saw the U.S. and Canadian women play each other live, it felt as if someone had taken a standard hockey game, given it six espressos, and kicked it in the shins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026

She’s eaten croissants by the Eiffel Tower, drunk espressos outside the Colosseum and now, could it be time for fish and chips on the London Eye?

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2024

Starbucks is to open 100 new coffee shops across Britain this year, as the country's appetite for vanilla lattes, iced espressos and banana caramel muffins continues to grow despite the gloomy economic outlook.

From Reuters ● Mar. 6, 2023

While the stores have attracted business from tourists, most Italians still prefer to sip their espressos at the thousands of smaller, family-owned coffee bars across the country.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 22, 2023

Cigarettes dangle from manicured fingers; tiny dogs wait patiently for owners to finish espressos; every female foot is shod in a high-heeled designer shoe.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

Related Words

• caffeine
• cappuccino