chocolate

noun

choc·​o·​late ˈchä-k(ə-)lət  ˈchȯ- 

1

: a beverage made by mixing chocolate with water or milk

The boy stirred the chocolate before drinking it.

2

: a food prepared from ground roasted cacao beans

The cake recipe calls for four squares of chocolate.

3

: a small candy with a center (such as a fondant) and a chocolate coating

gave her a box of chocolates

4

: a brownish gray

The bird's plumage was a shade of chocolate.

chocolate adjective

Examples of chocolate in a Sentence

The cake recipe calls for four squares of chocolate.

She gave me a box of chocolates for my birthday.

Recent Examples on the Web

In a grungy space off Main Street, Liquid Diet’s mindbending cocktails evoke flavors of grocery store items like chocolate chip banana bread and bell peppers. —Roger Kisby, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026

Galewood residents continued to push back over what the old historical Mars/Wrigley chocolate factory may become during a meeting on Wednesday night. —Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026

The filling is made from tangy cream cheese, bittersweet chocolate, and a hit of espresso for a sophisticated flavor that complements the berries' sweet-tart taste. —Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Feb. 2026

There are turkey-Caesar wraps and burrata-avocado toast, homemade chocolate-chip cookies and baklava, and one strange thing that everyone seems to order – a Korean Cream Cheese Bun that went viral after a food influencer blew it up online. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Nahuatl chocolātl, probably an alteration of eastern Nahuatl dialect chikolātl, from chikolli hook (probably used to refer to the beater used to mix chocolate with water) + ātl water, liquid

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chocolate

• baker's chocolate
• baking chocolate
• chocolate-box
• chocolate chip cookie
• dark chocolate
• hot chocolate
• milk chocolate
• plain chocolate
• sweet chocolate
• white chocolate

Kids Definition

chocolate

noun

choc·​o·​late ˈchäk-(ə-)lət  ˈchȯk- 

1

: a beverage of chocolate in water or milk

2

: a food prepared from ground roasted cacao beans

3

: a candy made of or coated with chocolate

4

: a brownish gray

chocolate adjective