coffeemaker

IPA/kˈɒfimˌeɪkə/
IPA/kˈɔfimˌeɪkɚ/

coffeemaker — noun

1. a small kitchen machine that heats water and pushes it through ground coffee to

1.nounA2
Definition

a small kitchen machine that heats water and pushes it through ground coffee to prepare a drink.

Example

Ziad set the coffeemaker on the counter and added two scoops of fresh grounds.

collocation: set/put + the coffeemaker on

Every morning, Élise filled the coffeemaker with cold water and pressed the green button.

pattern: fill + the coffeemaker + with water

Common collocations
  • set up the coffeemaker
  • clean the coffeemaker
  • fill the coffeemaker
  • automatic coffeemaker
  • drip coffeemaker
  • the office coffeemaker
Synonyms
  • coffee machine

    more common in British English; covers both drip machines and espresso machines.

  • coffee maker

    same word written as two words; both spellings are accepted.

  • percolator

    an older type of coffeemaker that boils water up through the grounds repeatedly.

  • drip coffee maker

    the most common household type, where hot water drips through a paper filter.

Grammar Patterns

a/the coffeemaker

coffeemaker + makes/brews + N

Usage Note

Mainly American English; British speakers more often say 'coffee machine' or 'coffee maker' (two words). Subject is usually a person preparing coffee, or the machine itself doing the brewing.

Common Mistakes

I drank the coffeemaker this morning.
I drank the coffee from the coffeemaker this morning.
the coffeemaker is the machine, not the drink.
She is a good coffeemaker.
She makes good coffee.
'coffeemaker' refers to the appliance, not a person who makes coffee.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five terms describe devices for making coffee, but they differ in mechanism and register. 'Coffeemaker' (one word) is the standard American spelling for an everyday home appliance, usually a drip-style machine. 'Coffee machine' is the preferred British term and also covers larger café equipment. An 'espresso machine' uses high pressure to force hot water through finely ground coffee — it makes a thicker, more concentrated drink. A 'percolator' is an older design that cycles boiling water up through the grounds; it is less common today. A 'French press' is not really a machine at all — it is a glass jug with a metal plunger, and you make the coffee by hand. For a typical kitchen drip device, 'coffeemaker' is the safest choice in American English.

coffeemaker ↗coffee machineespresso machinepercolatorFrench press

Common collocations

Nouns

  • coffeemaker filter
  • coffeemaker carafe
  • coffeemaker pot

Phrases

  • set up the coffeemaker
  • turn on the coffeemaker
  • clean the coffeemaker
  • automatic coffeemaker
  • drip coffeemaker

Prepositions

  • in the coffeemaker
  • from the coffeemaker

Etymology

English

A compound formed in American English from 'coffee' + 'maker' (someone or something that makes). The word became common in the early twentieth century as small electric kitchen appliances spread into ordinary homes. The two-word spelling 'coffee maker' appeared earlier; the closed-up form 'coffeemaker' settled in as the appliance itself became a familiar household item.