espresso
- 1Strong, concentrated coffee made by driving nearly boiling water at high pressure through finely ground, tightly packed coffee.
The barista pulled a perfect espresso with a golden layer of crema on top.
Italians often drink an espresso standing at the bar after a meal.
Note
The name describes the method: Italian caffè espresso, "pressed-out coffee", from esprimere "to press out", ultimately from Latin ex- "out" plus primere "to press". It counts both ways. A single cup is an espresso, and the drink in general is simply espresso. In the plural, English uses espressos, though the Italian plural espressi is also used.
- 2A coffee beverage that features espresso combined with other ingredients such as steamed milk, syrup, or cream.
She picked up a caramel espresso layered with steamed milk on her way to work.
The menu lists half a dozen espressos, each blended with different syrups and toppings.
Practice
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Origin
Borrowed from Italian espresso, short for caffè espresso ("pressed-out coffee"), from esprimere ("to press out"), which goes back to Latin exprimere, from ex- ("out") plus primere ("to press"). Some sources instead trace it to the idea of coffee made expressly for the customer, or to the sense of "fast", though these explanations are not widely credited.