chocolate

[chaw-kuh-lit, chok-uh-, chawk-lit, chok-]

noun

1. a preparation of the seeds of cacao, roasted, husked, and ground, often sweetened and flavored, as with vanilla.

2. a beverage made by dissolving such a preparation in milk or water, served hot or cold.

   a cup of hot chocolate.

3. candy made from such a preparation.

4. an individual piece of this candy.

5. any syrup or flavoring made from this preparation or artificially imitating its flavor.

6. a dark brown color.

adjective

1. made, flavored, or covered with chocolate.

   chocolate cake; chocolate ice cream.

2. having the color of chocolate; dark-brown.

chocolate

/ -lət, ˈtʃɒklɪt, ˈtʃɒkəlɪt /

noun

1. a food preparation made from roasted ground cacao seeds, usually sweetened and flavoured

2. a drink or sweetmeat made from this

3. 1. a moderate to deep brown colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a chocolate carpet

Other Word Forms

• chocolaty adjective
• chocolatey adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chocolate¹

First recorded in 1600–1610; from Spanish, from Nahuatl chocolātl, from chocol-, of unknown meaning (but perhaps from xococ “bitter, sour”) + ātl “water”

Word History and Origins

Origin of chocolate¹

C17: from Spanish, from Aztec xocolatl, from xococ sour, bitter + atl water

Example Sentences

Going that long is quite a feat even in a country where painful political negotiations are almost as much a part of the national culture as beer, chocolate and chips.

Read more on Barron's

She said festive items were required this year, such as Christmas cake, cranberry sauce, gravy, and chocolate coins for stockings, as well as essentials such as toilet roll, toothbrushes and deodorant.

Read more on BBC

Though locally celebrated for its proximity to a scenic railroad and the Hershey chocolate empire, the town’s identity was redefined in March 1979.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While food prices have generally stabilized since then, some staples like beef, coffee and chocolate keep getting costlier.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“They got filet mignon. They got mashed potatoes, green beans and chocolate cake for dessert,” Bubb said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• candy 
• confection 
• dessert 
• snack 

When To Use

Spelling tips for chocolate

The word chocolate is hard to spell because the second o is often not emphasized when pronounced—many people say [ chawk-lit ], not [ chok-uh-lit ]. Also, the final syllable -late is pronounced [ lit ], not like the word late. How to spell chocolate: You can remember how the word chocolate starts by remembering that it is sometimes abbreviated as choco, as in choco chips and Choco Taco. You can remember the ending by remembering that chocolate is often eaten as dessert, meaning that it’s eaten late.