cacao

noun

ca·​cao kə-ˈkau̇  kə-ˈkā-(ˌ)ō 

plural cacaos

1

or cacao bean : a dried, fermented, fatty seed of the fruit of a South American evergreen tree (Theobroma cacao of the family Malvaceae) that is used in making cocoa, chocolate, and cocoa butter : cocoa bean

… polyphenols also make cacao beans taste astringent and bitter.

—Patricia Gadsby

2

or cacao tree : a tree having small yellowish flowers followed by fleshy pods from which cacao is obtained

Chocolate starts as the seeds in the fruits of the cacao tree, a tropical plant that produces flowers and fruit not at the tips of branches but on the trunk.

—Kenneth Chang

The cacao tree is native to the tropical countries of South America, but now grows in other parts of the world, notably Africa, the West Indies, and Central America.

—Joanna Morris

Illustration of cacao

• cacao 2

Examples of cacao in a Sentence

a farmer who grows cacao

Recent Examples on the Web

The property also hosts a variety of wellness and well-being classes, from sound healing and meditation to yoga, breathwork, and cacao ceremonies. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2026

This 22-room luxury boutique hotel sits on a calm stretch of beachfront in South Tulum and offers a mesmerizing menu of activities, ranging from snorkeling and mezcal tastings to yoga, Maya healing treatments, and cacao ceremonies. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026

Cocoa and cacao are both made from the seeds (beans) of the Theobroma cacao tree. —Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 10 Mar. 2026

In 1918, then-owner Philip Guichet invented the Grasshopper cocktail, incorporating white and green crème de menthe, white and dark crème de cacao, heavy whipping cream and brandy. —Stephanie Gallman Jordan, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Nahuatl cacahuatl

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cacao

• cacao butter
• crème de cacao

Rhymes for cacao

• buteo
• vireo

Kids Definition

cacao

noun

ca·​cao kə-ˈkau̇ 

kə-ˈkā-ō

plural cacaos

1

: a South American tree that bears small yellowish flowers followed by fleshy yellow pods containing many seeds

2

: the dried fatty seeds of the cacao from which cocoa and chocolate are made

called also cacao bean

Medical Definition

cacao

noun

ca·​cao kə-ˈkau̇  kə-ˈkā-(ˌ)ō 

plural cacaos

1

: the dried partly fermented fatty seeds of a South American evergreen tree (Theobroma cacao of the family Malvaceae) 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 with many seeds that bear cacao

called also chocolate tree