Illustration of cacao
- cacao 2
cacao
noun
ca·cao
kə-ˈkau̇ 
kə-ˈkā-(ˌ)ō
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
Patricia Gadsby2
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
Kenneth ChangThe 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
Joanna Morris
Examples of cacao in a Sentence
a farmer who grows cacao
Recent Examples on the Web
Today cacao, ceremonies continue to be much more profound than simply sipping hot chocolate, as casual observers often assume.
—Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The downtown Raleigh location even has a full bar with liquor drinks, including the Sam Jones Old Fashioned, which blends Evan Williams whiskey with crème de cacao, peach, and orange.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
Not with a satisfying dessert but with a single square of dark chocolate snapped off a seventy-five-per-cent-cacao bar from Whole Foods.
—Reuven Perlman, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Coffee and cacao beans, tea leaves, guarana berries and kola nuts are all natural sources of this drug, but it can also be made in the lab and added to foods, drinks and medicines.
—Dr. Mark Corkins, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
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Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The downtown Raleigh location even has a full bar with liquor drinks, including the Sam Jones Old Fashioned, which blends Evan Williams whiskey with crème de cacao, peach, and orange.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
Not with a satisfying dessert but with a single square of dark chocolate snapped off a seventy-five-per-cent-cacao bar from Whole Foods.
—Reuven Perlman, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Coffee and cacao beans, tea leaves, guarana berries and kola nuts are all natural sources of this drug, but it can also be made in the lab and added to foods, drinks and medicines.
—Dr. Mark Corkins, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cacao
Cite this Entry
“Cacao.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cacao. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
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