café au lait

noun

ca·​fé au lait (ˌ)ka-ˈfā-ō-ˈlā How to pronounce café au lait (audio)
1
: coffee with usually hot milk in about equal parts
2
: the color of coffee with milk

Examples of café au lait in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nineteen-year-old Finn picked up on the sweetness of Mind Games Prodigy, a gourmand conceived to evoke the inviting warmth of a cafe au lait. Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2024 Always, someone was standing sentinel at the bar, ready to serve a cafe au lait or an aperitif. Vogue, 8 July 2024 It can also be served alongside cafe au lait if following the French tradition. Ronny Maye, Essence, 12 Feb. 2024 Choose from almond, chocolate, pistachio, strawberry, blackberry citrus, vanilla, cafe au lait, and salted caramel. Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2023 Baby blue eucalyptus has been in short supply recently, and the company has at various times had trouble stocking varieties of white garden roses, burgundy and cafe au lait dahlias, and a type of rose known as quicksand, which is popular for weddings, Chairman Red Kennicott said. Sarah Freishtat, chicagotribune.com, 30 Apr. 2021 Sweet and dense, it’s lovely dipped into a warm cafe au lait, or with a cup of hot tea. Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2021 In the end, the cafe au lait-colored eggs, tofu and other morsels that absorbed the flavor (and color) of the stew could be enjoyed with the meal, or fished out as a delicious byproduct to enjoy separately. Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2021 That note carries over into a wonderfully fruity palate, dominated by ripe plum and cherry flavors that intermingle with orange, vanilla, caramel apple, and cafe au lait. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 18 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'café au lait.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, coffee with milk

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of café au lait was in 1763

Dictionary Entries Near café au lait

Cite this Entry

“Café au lait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caf%C3%A9%20au%20lait. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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