different between coffee vs caf

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

Etymology

Clippings.

Pronunciation

• enPR: k?f, IPA^(key): /kæf/
• Rhymes: -æf

Noun

caf (plural cafs)

1. (informal) A café.
   • 2008, Carlos Frías, Take Me with You: A Memoir:

     Fourth on the list of the businesses my father and his brothers had owned was a caf on the corner of San Ignacio and Lamparilla in Old Havana.

2. (informal) A cafeteria.
   • 2005, Amy Davis, Adam Burns, Michigan State University, page 49:

     There are plenty of restaurants to choose from when you're sick of the ol’ caf food.

   • 2009, Lili St. Crow, Betrayals:

     Locked, empty classrooms on either side, other halls opening up to go down to the caf, two janitors' closets. Janitors' closets. Great. One was locked.
3. A caffeinated coffee.

Related terms

• (caffeinated coffee): decaf, half-caf

Translations

Anagrams

• ACF, AFC, CFA, FAC, FCA, fac

Middle English

Noun

caf

1. Alternative form of chaf

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *kaibaz (“strong, lively, brave”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??f/

Adjective

c?f

1. quick, sharp, prompt, nimble, swift
2. bold, brave

Declension

Descendants

• Middle English: kafe, cave, cof, cove
  • Scots: caif, kaif

Volapük

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t?af/

Noun

caf (nominative plural cafs)

1. kettle

Declension

Welsh

Alternative forms

• ca (colloquial)

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) (standard) IPA^(key): /ka?v/
  • (North Wales) (colloquial) IPA^(key): /ka?/
• (South Wales) (standard) (colloquial) IPA^(key): /ka?v/
  • (South Wales) (colloquial) IPA^(key): /ka?/

Verb

caf

1. (literary) first-person singular present indicative/future of cael

Mutation