coffee ring

noun

1. a coffeecake shaped like a ring, plain or fruited, often with a topping of raisins, ground nuts, and icing.

Word History and Origins

Origin of coffee ring¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Invented by a BASF scientist in 1916, the chemical reduces surface tension between two substances, enabling grime to come off of countertops and coffee rings to disappear from mugs.

From ProPublica