cacao
noun
ca·cao
| \ kə-ˈkau̇
, kə-ˈkā-(ˌ)ō\
, kə-ˈkā-(ˌ)ō\
plural cacaos
Definition of cacao
1
or cacao bean
: 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
… polyphenols also make cacao beans taste astringent and bitter.— Patricia Gadsby
— called also cocoa bean
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
The clincher: ancient DNA with sequences that matched those of modern cacao trees. — Franz Lidz, Smithsonian, "The Delicious, Ancient History of Chocolate and Vanilla," 11 July 2019 It’s rounded out by the nuttiness of orgeat syrup and a hit of spice and vanilla from the crème de cacao. — Los Angeles Times, "Love tiki drinks? Try this electric blue cocktail at the Formosa Cafe," 1 Aug. 2019 The journey from warm-weather cacao farm to an Alaska farmers market got its start on a vacation trip through Central America. — Steve Edwards, Anchorage Daily News, "Try new local chocolate made from hand-ground beans," 1 Aug. 2019 Scientists mostly agree that cacao was first domesticated in South America instead of Central America as previously believed. — Candice Choi, The Seattle Times, "How old is cacao? New research pushes back date," 31 Oct. 2018 Archaeologist Patricia McAnany has argued that the presence of northerners in the river valleys of central Belize may be related to the lucrative trade of cacao, the plant from which chocolate is made. — Gabriel D. Wrobel, The Conversation, "Trophies made from human skulls hint at regional conflicts around the time of Maya civilization’s mysterious collapse," 10 June 2019 Some of the activists were active proponents of aspects of the peace accord, including substitution programs to replace coca plants with new crops like coffee and cacao, as well as victim rights initiatives and land restitution. — Washington Post, "Artist pays homage to murdered Colombia rights activists," 10 June 2019 Her bright home kitchen, perched on a hill above Mission Dolores Park, also held fermenting cacao beans, mesquite flour and fluffy tamales. — Julia Moskin, New York Times, "This Mexican Chef Is Having a Very Good Year," 4 June 2019 Sprinkle with some of the cacao nib crumble before serving. — Ben Mims, latimes.com, "Culinary SOS: Botanica’s Gluten-Free Buckwheat Brownies," 5 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cacao.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for cacao
cacao
noun
English Language Learners Definition of cacao
: the dried seeds of a tropical tree that are used to make cocoa and chocolate
See the full definition for cacao in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cacao
noun
ca·cao
| \ kə-ˈkau̇
, kə-ˈkā-ō\
, kə-ˈkā-ō\
plural cacaos
Kids Definition of cacao
: a South American tree with fleshy yellow pods that contain fatty seeds from which chocolate is made
cacao
noun
ca·cao
| \ kə-ˈkau̇
, kə-ˈkā-(ˌ)ō
\
, kə-ˈkā-(ˌ)ō
\
plural cacaos
Medical Definition of cacao
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
Keep scrolling for more