cocoa bean

noun

plural cocoa beans
: a dried, fermented, fatty seed of the fruit of a South American tropical evergreen tree (Theobroma cacao of the family Malvaceae) that is used in making cocoa, chocolate, and cocoa butter : cacao sense 1
The cocoa bean contains cocoa solids (particles) and about 53 percent cocoa butter.Rose Levy Beranbaum

Examples of cocoa bean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Dandelion has been crafting bean-to-bar chocolate San Francisco’s Mission District for more than 10 years, using just two ingredients (cocoa beans and organic sugar) to make its confections sing. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2026 The array of products locked in a similar supply-demand crunch includes coffee and cocoa beans, which have led to an uptick in some candy prices. Max Zahn, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026 The study, conducted at King’s College London and published today in the journal Aging, found that people with higher levels of theobromine (a caffeine-like compound in cocoa beans) in their blood had fewer markers of biological aging. Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 10 Dec. 2025 People there relied on growing and selling cacao, the source of cocoa beans, but wanted to be more than just suppliers of an ingredient. Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cocoa bean

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cocoa bean was in 1799

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Cite this Entry

“Cocoa bean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocoa%20bean. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.

Medical Definition

cocoa bean

noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cocoa bean

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