espresso
Americannoun
plural
espressos-
a strong coffee prepared by forcing live steam under pressure, or boiling water, through ground dark-roast coffee beans.
-
a cup of this coffee.
noun
-
strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground coffee beans
-
an apparatus for making coffee in this way
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!
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; express ( def. )
Compare meaning
How does espresso compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The office coffee machines doled out free daily espresso shots, a small perk that workers relished.
Team Italy, for example, celebrated home runs by donning an Armani jacket in the dugout and taking a ceremonial shot of espresso.
From Salon
The Italians greeted their sluggers with an Armani jacket and a shot of dugout espresso.
Coffee and fruit is a popular pairing among Vietnam’s younger drinkers, including those inside Blackbird’s Old Quarter location, where teens and 20-somethings sip espresso drinks spiked with banana, mango, pomegranate, kumquat, sugar cane and more.
The hitters of lovable Team Italy celebrated home runs with shots of Italian espresso in a dugout dripping with cheek kisses and caffeine.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
