demitasse

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three name a small, strong serving of coffee, but they differ in register and scope. 'Demitasse' is the most formal word — it points to the whole serving ritual, often at the end of a meal, and is the label restaurants use on a menu. 'Espresso' names a specific Italian preparation method, made under pressure; it is everyday vocabulary and now international. 'After-dinner coffee' is a plain descriptive phrase any speaker can use without sounding fancy. In practice, an espresso served at the end of dinner in a fine restaurant could be listed on the menu as a demitasse; a friend at home would just say, 'Want coffee after we eat?'

Common collocations

Etymology

Borrowed from French 'demi-tasse', literally 'half-cup', from 'demi-' (half) and 'tasse' (cup). The word entered English in the late 1800s as café culture from continental Europe became fashionable in Britain and the United States, naming both the small cup and the strong coffee poured into it.