cocoa bean

noun

plural cocoa beans
: a dried, fermented, fatty seed of the fruit of a South American tropical evergreen tree (Theobroma cacao of the family Malvaceae) that is used in making cocoa, chocolate, and cocoa butter : cacao sense 1
The cocoa bean contains cocoa solids (particles) and about 53 percent cocoa butter.Rose Levy Beranbaum

Examples of cocoa bean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Water plants thoroughly and mulch with a 1- to 2-inch layer of organic material such as compost, cocoa bean hulls, or wood chips. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 May 2026 Consecutive years of drops in production led to one of the largest-ever supply deficits of cocoa beans compared to demand. Isaac Tellechea, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026 That led to a mounting stockpile of rotting cocoa beans in warehouses, while farmers who already sold their stocks to governments have not been paid for months. Edward Acquah, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026 Ivory Coast, the world’s leading cocoa producer, had to purchase an excess supply of cocoa beans from farmers in January and this week slashed the price by more than half for 2026. ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cocoa bean

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cocoa bean was in 1799

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Cite this Entry

“Cocoa bean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocoa%20bean. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

Medical Definition

cocoa bean

noun

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