What does "coffee" mean?
A beverage made by infusing the beans of the coffee plant in hot water.
Coffee
/ˈkɒf.i/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A beverage made by infusing the beans of the coffee plant in hot water.
- Grammar: coffee is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: coffee bean, java, beige, beverage.
- Useful contrasts: colorless, cuppa, hot chocolate.
- Usage evidence: You've drunk three cups of coffee.
How to use "coffee"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "coffee" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "coffee" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "coffee" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "coffee" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "coffee" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "coffee bean" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "coffee", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A beverage made by infusing the beans of the coffee plant in hot water. uncountable
"He and his friends used to order coffee whenever they went out."
- 2 a medium brown to dark-brown color wordnet
- 3 A serving of this beverage. countable
"As I sip a coffee at Brasserie Balzar, two well-known intellectuals, one publisher and a Sorbonne professor were discussing Sarkozy's future: "He won't finish his mandate" says one."
- 4 a seed of the coffee tree; ground to make coffee wordnet
- 5 The seeds of the plant used to make coffee, called ‘beans’ due to their shape. countable, uncountable
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans wordnet
- 7 The powder made by roasting and grinding the seeds. countable, uncountable
- 8 any of several small trees and shrubs native to the tropical Old World yielding coffee beans wordnet
- 9 A tropical plant of the genus Coffea. countable, uncountable
- 10 A pale brown color, like that of milk coffee. countable, uncountable
- 11 The end of a meal, when coffee is served. countable, uncountable
"He did not stay for coffee."
Verb
- 1 To drink coffee. intransitive
"I rushed into my cabin, coffeed, wined, and went to bed sobbing."
- 2 To give coffee to. transitive
"The association of veteran firemen, which has a membership of 200, kept open house for New Year callers, and all comers were bountifully sandwiched and coffeed."
Adjective
- 1 Of a pale brown colour, like that of milk coffee. not-comparable
- 2 Of a table: a small, low table suitable for people in lounge seating to put coffee cups on. not-comparable
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 Ellipsis of Coffee County. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"You've drunk three cups of coffee."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "coffee"?
Common synonyms include: coffee bean, java, beige, beverage, brown, brown color.
How do you use "coffee" in a sentence?
You've drunk three cups of coffee.
How do you pronounce "coffee"?
Pronounced /ˈkɒf.i/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Arabic قَهْوَة (qahwa)bor. Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve)bor. Italian caffèbor. Dutch koffiebor. English coffee Borrowed from Dutch koffie, from Italian caffè, from Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve), from Arabic قَهْوَة (qahwa). Doublet of café and caffè and cognate with the words for "coffee" in other major European languages, most of which are derived from the Turkish and Italian words.