name
Uncommon
Starbucks
STAH-buhks
Starbucks (name) means a large international chain of coffee shops. Example: “They grabbed coffee at Starbucks before the meeting.”
name
1
A large international chain of coffee shops.
"They grabbed coffee at Starbucks before the meeting."
"Also returning is Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, an iced-drink topped with pumpkin cream cold foam and a dusting of pumpkin spice that Starbucks launched in 2019."
— Jordan Valinsky, Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is coming back at a higher price (2022)
"Companies now want to turn themselves into “the Starbucks of the ham business” or “the Starbucks of fuel-injector makers.”"
— Taylor Clark, Starbucked (2013)
How to use Starbucks
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe well-known coffee shop chain.
Common pairings
grab a Starbucks
Starbucks coffee
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Word forms
- Plural
- Starbuckses
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
They grabbed coffee at _____ before the meeting.
Etymology
Named after Starbuck, the first mate in Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick, itself inspired by the real-life Starbuck family, a prominent whaling family from Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Frequently asked questions
What does “Starbucks” mean?
The word “Starbucks” means a large international chain of coffee shops. In plain terms, the well-known coffee shop chain.
How do you pronounce “Starbucks”?
“Starbucks” is pronounced STAH-buhks (/ˈstɑːɹˌbʌks/ in IPA).
How do you use “Starbucks” in a sentence?
Here is “Starbucks” used in a sentence: “They grabbed coffee at Starbucks before the meeting.”
What part of speech is “Starbucks”?
“Starbucks” is a name.
Is “Starbucks” a common word?
“Starbucks” is an uncommon word in modern English.
Is Starbucks used generically to mean any coffee shop?
Informally, some people use "Starbucks" loosely to refer to any large coffee chain, but strictly it names one specific international company. Using it generically is casual usage rather than its precise meaning.
What kind of business is Starbucks?
Starbucks is a large international chain of coffee shops, meaning it operates many branded locations across different countries rather than being a single independent café.
