different between coffee vs biggin

English

Alternative forms

• coffée (rare)

Etymology

From Dutch koffie (“coffee”) [from 1582], from Ottoman Turkish ????? (kahve, “coffee”), from Arabic ???????? (qahwa, “coffee, a brew”). The Arabic word originally referred to wine, a drink which was traditionally mixed and served hot in a similar manner. In Arabic "to brew" utilizes the same triliteral root as wine and intoxicant; see ? ? ?? (?-m-r) to cover over, presumably with hot water. Other sources instead claim it traces back to the name of the Kaffa region of Ethiopia, which is an Omotic word. Doublet of café and caffè.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?.fi/
• (Conservative RP, dated) IPA^(key): /?k??.f?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?.fi/
• (cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /?k?.fi/
• Homophone: coughy
• Rhymes: -?fi, -??fi
• Hyphenation: cof?fee

Noun

coffee (countable and uncountable, plural coffees)

1. (uncountable) A beverage made by infusing the beans of the coffee plant in hot water.
   • "He was here," observed Drina composedly, "and father was angry with him." ¶ "What?" exclaimed Eileen. "When?" ¶ "This morning, before father went downtown." ¶ Both Selwyn and Lansing cut in coolly, dismissing the matter with a careless word or two; and coffee was served—cambric tea in Drina's case.
2. (countable) A serving of this beverage.
   • 2008, Agnes Poirier, The Guardian, 12 April:

     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.

3. The seeds of the plant used to make coffee, misnamed ‘beans’ due to their shape.
4. The powder made by roasting and grinding the seeds.
5. A tropical plant of the genus Coffea.
6. A pale brown colour, like that of milk coffee.

7. The end of a meal, when coffee is served.

Synonyms

• Thesaurus:coffee
• Thesaurus:color

Derived terms

Related terms

• caffeine
• kaffeeklatsch

Translations

See coffee/translations § Noun.

Adjective

coffee (not comparable)

1. Of a pale brown colour, like that of milk coffee.
2. Of a table: a small, low table suitable for people in lounge seating to put coffee cups on.

Translations

See coffee/translations § Adjective.

Verb

coffee (third-person singular simple present coffees, present participle coffeeing, simple past and past participle coffeed)

1. (intransitive) To drink coffee.

Descendants

See also

Further reading

• The Origins of Coffe on Foodie’s Corner
• Podictionary article on “coffee” including its relationship with wine
• PBS documentary *Black Coffee, The Irresistible Bean. Discusses the origin of the word including the relationship with wine. Starts at 10:52

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?b???n/

Etymology 1

From French béguin. Compare beguine.

Noun

biggin (plural biggins)

1. (archaic) A child's cap; (figuratively) childhood.
   • 1629, Philip Massinger and Nathan Field, The Picture

     An old woman's biggin for a nightcap.

2. (historical) An official's hood or coif.

Etymology 2

From the inventor's surname.

Alternative forms

• bigging

Noun

biggin (plural biggins)

1. A coffee pot with a strainer or perforated metallic vessel for holding the ground coffee, through which boiling water is poured.

Anagrams

• gibing

Scots

Noun

biggin (plural biggins)

1. A building; a bigging.