Definition

Noun: 1. A beverage consisting of equal parts of coffee and hot milk: This term refers specifically to a drink made by combining coffee and steamed or hot milk in a 1:1 ratio. It is distinct from other coffee drinks by its specific equal-part composition.

Usage

• As a beverage order:

  • "I'll have a cafe au lait, please."
  • "She prefers a cafe au lait to a regular black coffee in the morning."

• Describing the drink's characteristics:

  • "The cafe au lait was served in a large bowl."
  • "A perfect cafe au lait has a smooth, balanced flavor."

Advanced Usage

• In descriptive or comparative contexts:
  • "The color of the old book's pages was reminiscent of cafe au lait." (Here, the term is used metaphorically to describe a pale brown color.)
  • "His approach to the problem was a cafe au lait of both radical and conservative ideas." (A figurative use implying an equal mixture of two different elements.)

Variants and Related Words

• Café au lait spot (noun): A medical term for a type of light-brown skin marking.
• Au lait (French phrase): Meaning "with milk." While not used alone in English, it is the source of the second part of the compound term.

Synonyms

• Coffee with milk: A more general, descriptive term.
• Café con leche (Spanish loan phrase): A similar beverage from Spanish-speaking cultures.

Notes on Meaning

• The term is a direct loan from French, where "café" means coffee and "au lait" means "with milk." In English, it retains the specific meaning of equal parts.
• It is important to distinguish it from a latte, which is an Italian-derived drink made with espresso and a larger proportion of steamed milk, often with a layer of foam.
• It is also distinct from a cappuccino, which has espresso, steamed milk, and a significant amount of milk foam.

Noun

1. equal parts of coffee and hot milk