Main Entry: ca·cao

Pronunciation: \kə-ˈkau̇, kə-ˈkā-(ˌ)ō\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural cacaos

Etymology: Spanish, from Nahuatl cacahuatl

Date: 1555

1 : the dried partly fermented fatty seeds of a South American evergreen tree (Theobroma cacao of the family Sterculiaceae) that are used in making cocoa, chocolate, and cocoa butter —called also cacao bean, cocoa bean
2 : a tree having small yellowish flowers followed by fleshy pods from which cacao is obtained

[cacao illustration]