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Glite Dictionary
California coffee

California coffee

9.9
An evergreen bush in the western United States that produces small red or black berries
  • noun
  • /ˌkælɪˈfɔrnjə ˈkɔfi/
  • US
translation icon : café de California
  • Gardeners sometimes plant California coffee for its drought tolerance and attractive berries.

Examples

  • The hiker paused to admire a California coffee bush in bloom along the trail.

  • Birds are often attracted to the bright fruits of the California coffee.

  • I love California coffee!

  • Have you ever tried California coffee?

  • Birds are often attracted to the bright fruits of the California coffee.

  • Gardeners sometimes plant California coffee for its drought tolerance and attractive berries.

  • The hiker paused to admire a California coffee bush in bloom along the trail.

Synonyms

Rhamnus californicus
vsCalifornia coffee
  • Specialized
9.9

An evergreen shrub with glossy leaves and small red or black berries that birds eat

is the common name used in ordinary speech for the same shrub
coffeeberry
vsCalifornia coffee
  • Specialized
9.9

An evergreen shrub from the western United States that grows small red or black berries

is the same shrub but uses the broader term fruit rather than berry
California buckthorn
vsCalifornia coffee
  • US
7.5

An evergreen shrub often used in gardens that has small red or black berries

is another common name rather than the alternative form

Surface Forms

California coffee singular
California coffees plural

Morphology

California + coffee

Both constituents are literal: 'California' names a place and 'coffee' names the plant/product, so a B1 learner would infer this refers to a type or variety of coffee (or coffee plant) associated with California. The place+noun compositional pattern is common across languages and follows standard English compounding, making the meaning directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

California coffee gets its name from the plant's dark, bean-like berries and from stories that early settlers roasted those berries to make a 'coffee substitute'. So the name points to this evergreen bush with small red or black fruits.