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

And with cacao prices soaring (up 90% since the start of this year), the rise of the new Angel Hair Chocolate trend actually makes perfect sense. —Oyku Ilgar, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025

Keep in mind that the effect is most visible on nights when there is little to no moon in the sky, so time your trip accordingly to experience the special midnight magic found in Bocas del Toro. Visit a cacao farm. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2025

The Chocolate Farm Tour shows how its chocolate is made, from growing to harvesting to processing, on its cacao farm. —Rachel Ng, AFAR Media, 7 May 2025

Almond Sable Cookies with Cacao Nibs This vegan version of a rich, delicate, crumbly sable, the classic French cookie named for its tender texture, uses only a handful of ingredients, including coconut oil, almond meal, sugar, flour and cacao nibs. —Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025

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 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