demitasse

noun

Etymology: From French demi-tasse (literally “half cup”), from demi- (“half-”) + tasse (“cup”).

1. A small cup of strong black coffee.

   “He read old almanacs at the book-stalls on the quays, and he began to frequent another café, where more newspapers were taken and his post-prandial demi-tasse cost him a penny extra, and where he used to con the tattered sheets for curious anecdotes, freaks of nature, and strange coincidences.”

   “A gentleman may be presented with a demitasse—a straight-sided, miniature coffee cup containing extremely strong (perhaps flavored) coffee—at the end of his dinner, most likely when dessert is served, or when chocolates are passed in the lingering time after the actual dinner is done. He may either accept or decline a demitasse.”

2. The cup in which this coffee is served.