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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Scientists have homed in on bioactive plant compounds found in cocoa beans, called flavanols, which have been shown to prompt production of nitric oxide in the body. Allison Aubrey, NPR, 5 Dec. 2024 Among the leading cocoa bean buyers, the United States is a major player in the chocolate business. Noël Fletcher, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024 In March, the United Nations Trade and Development office released a statement with startling figures about how recent cocoa bean prices have been skyrocketing. Noël Fletcher, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024 Some of the biggest candy manufacturers in the world are environmentally harmful due to the sheer amount of sugar, palm oil and cocoa beans required to make their products, which has contributed to widespread deforestation and biodiversity loss, according to Good On You. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near cocoa bean

Cite this Entry

“Cocoa bean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocoa%20bean. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

cocoa bean

noun

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