# coffee

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɒf.i/ · frequency rank #1,448

## Definitions
1. A beverage made by infusing the beans of the coffee plant in hot water.
2. A serving of this beverage.
3. The seeds of the plant used to make coffee, called ‘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 color, like that of milk coffee.
7. The end of a meal, when coffee is served.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Arabic قَهْوَة (qahwa)bor.
Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve)bor.
Italian caffèbor.
Dutch koffiebor.
English coffee
Borrowed from Dutch koffie, from Italian caffè, from Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve), from Arabic قَهْوَة (qahwa). Doublet of café and caffè and cognate with the words for "coffee" in other major European languages, most of which are derived from the Turkish and Italian words.

## Easily confused with
- **coffin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coffee-vs-coffin)
- **confer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coffee-vs-confer)
- **Coffey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coffee-vs-coffey)
- **cuffed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coffee-vs-cuffed)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ccoffee`, `cfofee`, `cofee`, `cofefe`, `coffe`, `ocffee`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/coffee