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

Polyphenol compounds in cacao nibs can have beneficial health effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose control, and more. —Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 11 Sep. 2025

During the second distillation, the ingredients of Mole Poblano, cacao, roasted chilies, and assorted spices are introduced into the still, allowing the spirit vapors to pass through those ingredients, infusing the mezcal with a rich, layered complexity. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Hacienda Bambusa in Armenia, on the other hand, delivers tranquil luxury in an environment of cacao fields and bamboo groves. —Boris Seckovic, Travel + Leisure, 31 Aug. 2025

The Tropical Agricultural Research Station (TARS) in Mayagüez studies more than 300 cacao varieties, a fact that caught the attention of Shehab’s son, researcher Eduardo Cortés, who secured a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant to provide local farmers with thousands of cacao trees. —Rebecca L. Rhoades, Saveur, 20 Aug. 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