Latte
A latte is "coffee made with hot milk." The term is from the Italian "caffè e latte" (commonly "caffè latte"), for "coffee and milk," analogous to the French "café au lait."As the term has come to be used in the United States since approximately 1985, a latte consists of one or two shots of espresso and about three times as much hot milk, topped with a small amount of milk froth. A latte has more milk than a cappuccino, and has a weaker, milkier taste. Lattes should be prepared by pouring milk and coffee simultaneously, from either side of the drinking vessel, which ideally should be a tall, ceramic mug.
The evolution of this term (and this particular form of the beverage) is relatively recent and probably dates from the spread of the 1980s Seattle coffee craze to the rest of the United States (and beyond) via the growth of Seattle-based Starbucks. As recently as 1980, if you ordered a "latte" in an Italian coffeehouse in San Francisco, you would expect to get a glass of milk. If you ordered a "caffè latte," you would get a beverage with far less milk in it than what has now come to be called a "latte."
In a recent development (circa year 2000), coffee shops such as Starbucks have started topping lattes with whipped cream.
Keep in mind, ordering a "latte" in a café in Italy will result in the barista serving you a glass of milk without coffee.