Java
Americannoun
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the main island of Indonesia. 51,032 sq. mi. (132,173 sq. km).
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(usually lowercase) coffee.
a cup of java.
noun
noun
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Java is one of the world's most densely populated regions.
It was under Dutch rule from 1619 to 1949.
Etymology
Origin of Java
1550–60; of obscure origin; possibly from Sanskrit yāvadvīpa, yāvaka dvīpa “barley island” (the island was well known for the barley plant)
Explanation
Java is an informal word for "coffee," so the next time you go out for breakfast, you can jauntily order a cup of java. In North America, java has been slang for "coffee" since about 1850. Java is a coffee-producing region of what was then the Dutch East Indies and is now Indonesia, and while the term originally referred to coffee grown in Java, by the 20th century it was shorthand for any coffee. If you use this word these days, you're just as likely to be talking about the computer programming language called Java.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Search and rescue ships and a helicopter have been deployed to the scene and all other vessels in that area of the Java Sea have been alerted to report signs of any passengers.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
In Indonesia, the Dutch moved to cripple industry ahead of the Japanese advance, targeting oil wells on Sumatra and Borneo, road and rail networks on Java, and infrastructure on rubber plantations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Authorities have confirmed there is no tsunami warning linked to the recent activity of the volcano, which is in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Indonesian authorities have closed access to a national park on Java Island as firefighters battle a wildfire raging there for nearly a week.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
The next day they stood off Java Head, waiting for a wind to favor them.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
