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Definition of cafe

cafe

/kæˈfeɪ/
ca · fe
Plural:cafes
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cafe Lexical Profile

cafe Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A small, informal restaurant or coffeehouse specializing in coffee, tea, pastries, and light meals, often featuring indoor or outdoor seating.

Example

"We met at a quiet corner cafe to discuss the project over coffee and croissants."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for cafe

Word Nuance & Usage

Often spelled with an acute accent ('café') to preserve its French pronunciation (/kæˈfeɪ/ or /ˈkæfeɪ/), though in informal British English the unaccented spelling 'cafe' is also pronounced /kæf/ to refer to an inexpensive roadside diner.

• Rhymes for cafe

• Nearby Words

caesar
caesar salad
caf
cafe
cafeteria
cafetiere
caffeinate

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the late 18th century from French 'café' (meaning both 'coffee' and 'coffeehouse'), which passed through Italian 'caffè' from Turkish 'kahve', ultimately deriving from Arabic 'qahwah'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Cafe. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/cafe
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