espresso
nounattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ɛˈspɹɛsəʊ//
- United Kingdom//ɪˈspɹɛsəʊ//
- United Kingdom//əˈspɹɛsəʊ//
- United States//ɛˈspɹɛsoʊ//
A concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee.
noun
- 1
A concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee.
- 2
A drink that includes espresso as an ingredient.
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian espresso, from caffè espresso (“pressed-out coffee”), form of esprimere (“to press out”), from Latin exprimere, from ex- (“out”) + primere (“to press”). Some sources derive the term from "expressly" ("individually, directly") made for the customer, or from the Italian espresso ("fast"), as in the English word express ("fast"), although these explanations are not widely accepted. The original term for modern espresso (coffee extracted under pressure) was cream coffee, from Italian caffè crema (variant: crema caffè), due to the crema, and appeared on early Gaggia machines, but this term is no longer used.
Forms
- plural
- espressos, espressi
espresso · A concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee.
essay · A written composition of moderate length, exploring a…essence · The inherent nature of a thing or idea.Essence · A female given name of African-American usage.