From Latin 'exprimere' (to press out) — pressing thoughts into words. Italian 'espresso' coffee is the same word.
To convey or communicate a thought, feeling, or idea in words, gestures, or actions; to squeeze or press out a substance.
From Old French 'expresser,' from Medieval Latin 'expressare,' a frequentative of Latin 'exprimere' (to press out, squeeze out, portray, describe), composed of 'ex-' (out) and 'premere' (to press). The original physical meaning was 'to squeeze out' (as juice from a fruit). The sense 'to put into words' developed from the metaphor of pressing thoughts out of the mind into speech. The adjective sense 'explicit, directly stated' came from the Latin past participle 'expressus' (distinct, prominent — literally 'pressed out, standing
Italian 'espresso' coffee is literally 'pressed out' coffee — from the same Latin root 'exprimere.' The name refers to the brewing method: hot water is forced (pressed out) through finely ground coffee under high pressure. So when you order an espresso, you are ordering an 'expression' — etymologically identical to the act of expressing an idea.