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
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The majority of cocoa beans produced globally go into bulk chocolate—that usually has a basic, bittersweet chocolate taste. Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2025 Water plants thoroughly and mulch with a 1- to 2-inch layer of organic material such as compost, cocoa bean hulls, or wood chips. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 July 2025 Even dessert nods to nature — chocolate made from cocoa bean pulp and layered with cacao petals. Rooksana Hossenally, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025 Among the nations that export cocoa beans to the country are Cote d'Ivoire and Ecuador, according to the USDA. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 2 Apr. 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 29 Aug. 2025.

Medical Definition

cocoa bean

noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cocoa bean

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