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
According to Gupta, because of the industry shortages, a kilogram of cacao went from $7 to $16, and cocoa butter went from $9 to $41.
—Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
For ten years, owner Sebastian Cisneros has been sourcing single-estate Ecuadorian cacao to sell at his shop in Portland and at retailers nationwide.
—Anna Haines, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
Climate change has impacted West Africa, where 70% of the world’s cacao is grown — in Ghana and Ivory Coast.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2025
Since then, he’s had to adapt to changes in the global cacao bean market.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cacao
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Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
For ten years, owner Sebastian Cisneros has been sourcing single-estate Ecuadorian cacao to sell at his shop in Portland and at retailers nationwide.
—Anna Haines, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
Climate change has impacted West Africa, where 70% of the world’s cacao is grown — in Ghana and Ivory Coast.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2025
Since then, he’s had to adapt to changes in the global cacao bean market.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 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 6 Aug. 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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