Illustration of coffee
- coffee 1b
often attributive
1
a
: a beverage made by percolation, infusion, or decoction from the roasted and ground seeds of a coffee plant
b
: any of several Old World tropical plants (genus Coffea and especially C. arabica and C. canephora) of the madder family that are widely cultivated in warm regions for their seeds from which coffee is prepared
d
: a dehydrated product made from brewed coffee
instant coffee
also
: a beverage made from this
2
: a cup of coffee
two coffees
3
Did you know?
Coffee is made from the roasted and ground seeds, or beans, of the coffee plant, a tropical evergreen shrub. Two of the 25 or more species, Arabica and Robusta, supply most of the world's coffee. Arabica is grown in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Indonesia; Robusta mainly in Africa. The shrub bears small white flowers with a jasmine-like fragrance. The fruit, which is red when mature, is called a cherry. The seed is called a bean. Coffee contains large amounts of caffeine, whose effects have always been an important element in the drink's popularity. Coffee-drinking dates from the 15th century in Arabia. It reached Europe by the 17th century and immediately became popular. Coffee is consumed by about one-third of the world's population.
Examples of coffee in a Sentence
I bought a pound of coffee.
Recent Examples on the Web
Niccol noted that many customers already bring their own protein powders or mix coffee with protein drinks, and said Starbucks intends to meet that demand directly with a view to tapping into the fast-expanding market.
—
John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
The video started off in the way Kiser, who was seen wearing a necklace with Trigg’s name on it, often started her videos prior to the tragedy, showing herself making a glass of iced coffee.
—Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
Upstairs, the main bedroom features sliding glass doors that flood the room with light and open out to a private deck for morning coffee or evening relaxation.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2025
Along with selling bulk packs of paper towels and Keurig coffee pods, clubs have caught the attention of shoppers with items that tap into a desire for dupes or go viral on social media — such as Costco’s gold bars, which racked up more than $100 million in sales in a single quarter.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coffee
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
The video started off in the way Kiser, who was seen wearing a necklace with Trigg’s name on it, often started her videos prior to the tragedy, showing herself making a glass of iced coffee.
—Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
Upstairs, the main bedroom features sliding glass doors that flood the room with light and open out to a private deck for morning coffee or evening relaxation.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2025
Along with selling bulk packs of paper towels and Keurig coffee pods, clubs have caught the attention of shoppers with items that tap into a desire for dupes or go viral on social media — such as Costco’s gold bars, which racked up more than $100 million in sales in a single quarter.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coffee
Cite this Entry
“Coffee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coffee. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coffee
noun
cof·fee
ˈkȯ-fē 
ˈkäf-ē
1
: a drink made from the roasted and ground seeds of a tropical tree or shrub related to the madder
2
: coffee seeds or a plant producing them
3
: a cup of coffee
two coffees
Etymology
from Italian caffè "coffee" and Turkish kahve "coffee," both from Arabic qaḥwa "coffee"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share