cacao

noun ca·cao \ kə-ˈkau̇ , kə-ˈkā-(ˌ)ō \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Definition of cacao

plural cacaos

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

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Examples of cacao in a Sentence

a farmer who grows cacao

Recent Examples of cacao from the Web

What’s sexier than knowing where your cacao beans were sourced from?

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "These Local Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers Have You Covered for Valentine’s Day," 7 Feb. 2018
Next door is Chocolat Dieter Meier, making excellent chocolates that are putting Switzerland back on the cacao map.

— adam h. graham, Condé Nast Traveler, "Plan a Trip to Zurich This Summer (Yes, Really)," 2 May 2018
Bittersweet chocolates are now too diverse to be called for without also giving a cacao percentage range or a not-to-exceed percentage for each recipe.

— alice medrich, WSJ, "‘The Perfect Cake’ and ‘Cake’ Reviews: Coconut, Carrot, Pound, Layer . . .," 13 Apr. 2018
In a separate bowl, stir together flour, chocolate chips, if using, sugar, cacao powder, baking soda and salt.

— ashleigh spitza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Colorful vegetarian menu crosses bridge to spring," 7 Apr. 2018
For dessert: dark Manjari chocolate gelee, with cacao nib foam, poached rhubarb and passion fruit sorbet.

— craig whitlock, Anchorage Daily News, "Leaks, feasts and sex parties: How ‘Fat Leonard’ infiltrated the Navy’s floating headquarters in Asia," 1 Feb. 2018
These balls are sweetened with dates, cacao powder, and honey.

— christine byrne, SELF, "5 Olympic-Worthy Recipes From Lindsey Vonn's Personal Chef," 24 Feb. 2018
Retail area features chocolate lotions, chocolate spice rubs and cacao infusion kits for spirits.

— jessica yadegaran, chicagotribune.com, "Seattle's new waterfront: Pike Place Market and beyond," 24 Apr. 2018
Dive deep on cacao, combing three city markets and sipping chocolatey drinks like tejate.

— ashlea halpern, The Cut, "12 Epic, All-Inclusive Honeymoon Itineraries," 11 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cacao.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.