expresso
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does expresso mean? Expresso is a variant of the word espresso, a kind of strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground, dark-roast coffee beans. Is expresso a word?The term expresso originated as a mispronunciation and misspelling of espresso. But it has become used commonly enough to be added to the dictionary. Being in the dictionary doesn’t make it a word—people using it commonly and you knowing what they mean makes it a word!In English, the letter combination es is far less common than ex at the beginning of words. So for many English speakers, it feels more natural to pronounce the beginning of espresso as ex rather than es. This has probably been influenced by the word express, which is associated with speed, and the stimulating effects of espresso’s jolt of caffeine. We know, we know—some people don’t think expresso is a “real word.” But this is how language works. In English, it isn’t all that unusual for variant spellings and pronunciations to become the standard over time. For example, the word bird comes from the Middle English term bryd. The word apron was originally napron, but changed due to the fact that saying a napron sounds a lot like an apron. The word espresso can also refer to a cup of espresso (as in I like to have an espresso after dinner) or an espresso machine (as in I got an espresso so now I can make my favorite drinks at home), and the word expresso can be used in these ways as well. Example: The barista corrected me when I ordered an expresso, but I can’t be held responsible for what I say before I’ve had my coffee.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of expresso
By association with express
Compare meaning
How does expresso 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.
As for trying Atomo, both the coffee shop expresso and the brew-at-home version tasted close enough to good coffee for me.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2024
I am in a high-end coffee shop in a tech-heavy area of San Francisco, staring suspiciously into a cup of expresso.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2024
Our tea is freshly brewed with an expresso machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2015
Insert the steam wand from expresso machine, and turn it on.
From Forbes ● Dec. 24, 2014
You can sit there, after the paper's read, sip your expresso and watch the people go by.
From I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Reynolds, Mack
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.
