Demitasse

Demitasse

ˈdemētäs

Noun

  • A small coffee cup.

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Example Sentences

“Instead of getting a paper to-go cup, I prefer to sit and drink my coffee out of a ceramic demitasse.”

“I broke a demitasse on my first day as a barista, but my manager laughed it off as part of the learning process.”

“When I drink coffee at home, I use a giant mug instead of the demitasse they use at my favorite café.”

Word Origin

French, mid-19th century

Why this word?

Coffee drinkers may have learned a bit of Italian for their orders: “Grande” is “large,” and “venti” is “twenty” (for 20 ounces). But the French are also known for their coffee culture, and “demitasse” could serve as the smallest cup on the Starbucks menu. “Demitasse” is a word borrowed directly from French, combining the French word for “half” (“demi”) and the word for “cup” (“tasse”). The direct translation of “demitasse” is “half-cup,” but in relation to coffee, it’s the name usually given to the small cup that espresso is served in.

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ˈpərkwəzət