coffee-grounds

She scoops the used coffee-grounds from the filter into the compost bin.

Definition

1. Noun (plural):
   • Residue from brewed coffee: "coffee-grounds" refers to the spent, solid particles of ground coffee beans that remain after the coffee has been brewed or filtered. These are typically damp, dark, and gritty.

Usage Examples

• (The leftover solid residue from the brewing process.)
• (The spent coffee particles are repurposed for gardening.)
• (The damp, gritty remains from the coffee maker.)

Advanced Usage

• "to read the coffee-grounds": a form of divination or fortune-telling where the patterns made by coffee-grounds in a cup are interpreted.

  • The old woman claimed she could read the coffee-grounds to predict the future. (She interpreted the residue patterns for fortune-telling.)

• "coffee-grounds vomit": a medical term for vomit that resembles coffee-grounds in appearance, often indicating internal bleeding.

  • The patient presented with coffee-grounds vomit, a sign of gastrointestinal bleeding. (Vomit with a dark, granular appearance.)

Variants and Related Words

• Coffee ground (n, singular): a single particle of ground coffee (less common; typically used in compound forms).

  • A single coffee ground stuck to the bottom of the cup. (One tiny particle of ground coffee.)

• Ground coffee (n): coffee beans that have been ground, before brewing.

  • She bought a bag of fresh ground coffee for the espresso machine. (Unbrewed, ground coffee beans.)

Synonyms

• Dregs: the sediment or residue left at the bottom of a liquid (e.g., coffee, tea, wine).
• Lees: the sediment of wine or other liquids; less common for coffee.
• Spent grounds: specifically, the used coffee particles after brewing.

Related Idioms

• "Grounds for divorce": though not directly about coffee, this idiom uses "grounds" (meaning reason or basis) and is a common pun with "coffee-grounds."

  • He joked that the messy coffee-grounds in the sink were grounds for divorce. (A humorous play on words.)

• "Not my cup of tea": while not directly using "coffee-grounds," this idiom contrasts with coffee-related vocabulary.

  • Reading coffee-grounds for fortune-telling is not my cup of tea. (I am not interested in that activity.)