English Reference

Word

latte

Phoneticslat·te

US/ˈlɑːteɪ/

UK/ˈlæteɪ/

Definition

n. a hot drink made by mixing a small amount of strong espresso coffee with a lot of steamed milk, often topped with a thin layer of foam

n. a coffee-based beverage consisting of one or more shots of espresso combined with a significant volume of steamed milk, typically finished with a thin layer of microfoam.

Examples

“I would like a hot latte with sugar, please.”

“The barista spent a few extra seconds pouring the milk to create a beautiful heart shape in the latte's foam.”

“The quality of a latte depends not only on the espresso's extraction but also on the texture of the microfoam, which should be silky rather than aerated.”

Examples

simple

“I would like a hot latte with sugar, please.”

contextual

“The barista spent a few extra seconds pouring the milk to create a beautiful heart shape in the latte's foam.”

complex

“The quality of a latte depends not only on the espresso's extraction but also on the texture of the microfoam, which should be silky rather than aerated.”

Real-World Examples

“Each of the machines we chose is a fully automatic bean-to-cup behemoth capable of producing upwards of 50 types of coffee drinks at the push of a button; everything from espresso and cortado to iced lattes with syrup or a simple long black.”
WIRED · 8 May 2026
“In specialty coffee, the latte 'golden ratio' typically refers to approximately one part espresso to three to five parts steamed milk, finished with a thin layer of microfoam.”
Food Republic · 3 Mar 2026

Etymology

Derived from the Italian 'caffè latte', meaning 'milk coffee'. It was shortened to 'latte' in English-speaking countries as the beverage gained global popularity.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Updated

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English Reference