espresso
/ɛˈsprɛsəʊ
/noun (plural espressos)
A type of strong black coffee made by forcing steam through ground coffee beans: he bought an espresso and a couple of croissants [as modifier]: roadside espresso bars...
- As the name of the place suggests, you can also enjoy a cup of coffee at the store - from filter coffee to cappuccino and espressos.
- I therefore will endeavour to buy some freshly ground espresso coffee in the near future.
- As well as the usual range of coffees (starting with espressos for £1), there's an excellent range of cakes and pastries, a tapas menu and, in true coffee-house style, weekly acoustic music evenings.
Usage
The spelling expresso is not used in the original Italian and is strictly incorrect, although it is common.
Origin
From Italian (caffè) espresso, literally 'pressed out (coffee)'.