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

Dear Dahlia Lip Paradise Sensual Lip Glow delivers luminous color with an ingredient list (sweet almond, argan, and shea butter oils, and cacao seed butter) that reads like a lip treatment. — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026

Amid cacao ceremonies, breathwork and psychedelic rituals, relationships begin to unravel, families drift apart and old wounds resurface, as the festival organizers ignore warnings of an approaching tornado. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2026

Wonderbird gin, lemon juice, allspice dram, crème de cacao, and St-Germain, impart warm, honeyed notes. — Kristin Braswell, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026

There are three caffeine strengths to choose from — Single Shot, Double Shot and Triple Shot, for the biggest buzz — and several different flavors, like cardamom, cacao nib and coconut. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 8 Sep. 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