What does frappe mean?
A frappé is a cold, frothy beverage most closely associated with iced coffee, typically made by shaking or blending instant coffee with water, ice, and sugar, and often finished with milk or evaporated milk. The word comes from the French verb frapper, meaning 'to strike' or, in culinary terms, 'to chill with ice.' Although versions of iced drinks under this name existed earlier, the modern coffee frappé became iconic after its accidental invention in Greece in 1957, when instant coffee was shaken with cold water instead of hot; it remains a staple of Greek café culture today. Usage varies regionally: in Britain and much of Europe the term denotes an iced coffee, while in New England a frappé traditionally means a thick milkshake made with ice cream. Informal and refreshingly summery in tone, the word is useful shorthand for any icy, blended drink.
nounA cold, frothy drink made by shaking or blending coffee (traditionally instant coffee) with ice, water, and often sugar or milk. In parts of the United States, especially New England, the term also denotes a thick milkshake containing ice cream.
- A cold, frothy iced-coffee drink made by shaking or blending coffee with ice, water, sugar, and sometimes milk.
- A thick milkshake made with ice cream (chiefly New England usage).
- A liqueur or other beverage served chilled over finely shaved ice (older usage).
"On sweltering afternoons, Greeks line up for an iced frappé at nearly every corner café."
"She sipped her frappé slowly as the afternoon heat shimmered off the pavement."
"At the Rhode Island diner, 'cabinet' is the local name for what everyone else calls a chocolate frappé."
The frappé was born by accident in 1957, when a Greek salesman out of hot water shook instant coffee with cold water and ice at a trade fair in Thessaloniki — and invented a national obsession.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of frappe
Frappé derives directly from the French passive participle of the verb frapper, meaning 'to strike' or 'to hit'; in culinary use, frapper came to mean chilling a drink with ice, so a 'frappé' originally described a beverage served over shaved ice. The term was borrowed into English in the nineteenth century for such chilled drinks. Its association specifically with coffee solidified in twentieth-century Greece, where the now-classic shaken instant-coffee frappé emerged in 1957. As a French borrowing, it shares its linguistic lineage with other words descended from frapper, though relatively few have entered mainstream English.
How frappe is actually used
Pronunciation varies noticeably by region: many speakers anglicize it as a single syllable rhyming with 'cap,' while the French-derived two-syllable form ending in '-ay' is also widespread. The word is everyday and informal in café contexts, but its meaning shifts geographically — in Britain and much of Europe it means iced coffee, while in New England it traditionally refers to an ice-cream milkshake. The accent mark on the French-derived spelling 'frappé' is frequently dropped in casual writing.
Easily confused with frappe
A Frappuccino is Starbucks' trademarked blended coffee beverage, while frappé is the generic term for a shaken or blended iced drink.
A cappuccino is a hot espresso drink topped with steamed milk foam, whereas a frappé is served cold over or blended with ice.