cacao

noun

ca·​cao kə-ˈkau̇ How to pronounce cacao (audio)
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 Sterculiaceae) 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

Illustration of cacao
  • cacao 2

Examples of cacao in a Sentence

a farmer who grows cacao
Recent Examples on the Web Just cane sugar, cacao beans, cocoa butter, vanilla, and sunflower lecithin—yes, Guittard still includes those preservatives that help the chip keep its shape. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 6 Mar. 2024 Dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of cacao. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 According to the plant-medicine doctrine of Central and South America, consuming cacao helps a person connect with their heart. Megan Conway, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023 Shop for one-of-a-kind art pieces, magnets, T-shirts, natural skincare, cacao, perfume and plants. Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024 Sigmon sources his cacao from an organic co-op in Ecuador, where the beans produce a deep chocolate with tropical fruit notes. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2024 The aroma is a rich combination of amber, vanilla bean, mahogany, and cacao. Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2024 At Wonka’s Los Angeles premiere, Chalamet wore a black alligator suit that resembled a bar of dark chocolate—we’re talking, like, 80% cacao content here, folks. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2023 For that, there’s Fruition’s dark milk chocolate bar, which is made with 68% cacao sourced from Peru’s Marañón Canyon. Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 16 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cacao.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Nahuatl cacahuatl

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cacao was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near cacao

Cite this Entry

“Cacao.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cacao. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cacao

noun
ca·​cao kə-ˈkau̇ How to pronounce cacao (audio)
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
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 with many seeds that bear cacao

called also chocolate tree

More from Merriam-Webster on cacao

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