café

¹

or ca·fe

[ ka-fey, kuh- French ka-fey ]

noun

, plural ca·fés [ka-, feyz, k, uh, -, k, a, -, fey].

1. a small, unpretentious restaurant, often with exterior seating on a patio or extending onto the sidewalk.

   Synonyms: tearoom, lunchroom, bistro, coffeehouse

2. coffee:

   I pick up a café and a croissant on my commute in to work every morning.

CAFE

²

[ ka-fey, kuh- ]

noun

1. a U.S. federally mandated standard of average minimum miles-per-gallon fuel consumption for all the cars produced by an automobile manufacturer in a given year.

café

/ ˈkæfeɪ; ˈkæfɪ /

noun

1. a small or inexpensive restaurant or coffee bar, serving light meals and refreshments
2. a corner shop or grocer

Spelling Note

See resume ².

Word History and Origins

Origin of café¹

First recorded in 1780–90; from French: literally, “coffee”; coffee

Origin of café²

C(orporate) A(verage) F(uel) E(conomy)

Word History and Origins

Origin of café¹

C19: from French: coffee

Example Sentences

I called at the café I had been heading for that day and enjoyed the breakfast I had been denied the year before.

From BBC

They have struck an agreement with a local café to turn off the music and turn down the lights for their group when they meet once a month.

From BBC

"We have queues of people coming to the summit of Yr Wyddfa, the cafe is overrun, so it doesn’t seem to be affecting trade at all."

From BBC

But one thing that always remained a mystery was what happened to his cousin Fred Stredder during the war, after they met by chance in a café in Egypt on their way to fight.

From BBC

Gang members didn’t like what was happening, she said, and occasionally came by her cafe to make it known.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bistro
• cafeteria
• coffee shop
• diner