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  • cocoa
    cocoa
    noun
    a powder made from roasted, husked, and ground seeds of the cacao, Theobroma cacao, from which much of the fat has been removed.
  • Cocoa
    Cocoa
    noun
    a city in E central Florida.
Synonyms

cocoa

1 American  
[koh-koh] / ˈkoʊ koʊ /

noun

  1. a powder made from roasted, husked, and ground seeds of the cacao, Theobroma cacao, from which much of the fat has been removed.

  2. cacao.

  3. a beverage made by mixing cocoa powder with hot milk or water.

  4. brown; yellowish brown; reddish brown.


adjective

  1. of or relating to cocoa.

  2. of the color of cocoa.

cocoa 2 American  
[koh-koh] / ˈkoʊ koʊ /

noun

  1. coco.


Cocoa 3 American  
[koh-koh] / ˈkoʊ koʊ /

noun

  1. a city in E central Florida.


cocoa British  
/ ˈkəʊkəʊ /

noun

  1. a powder made from cocoa beans after they have been roasted, ground, and freed from most of their fatty oil

  2. a hot or cold drink made from cocoa and milk or water

    1. a light to moderate brown colour

    2. ( as adjective )

      cocoa paint

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cocoa1

First recorded in 1700–10; earlier cocao, cacoa, variant of cacao

Origin of cocoa2

1545–55; misspelling of coco, by confusion with cocoa 1

Explanation

The dark, chocolate-brown powder you use to make brownies or devil's food cake is called cocoa. Cocoa consists of finely ground roasted cacao beans. You can use cocoa to make many chocolate treats, including pudding, cake, cookies, and hot chocolate — which is also called cocoa. Although cocoa powder smells delicious, it has to be mixed with sugar or some other sweetener for it to taste good. When the word cocoa was first used in the early 18th century, it was based on a mistake, mixing up the letters of cacao, the seed that's used to make cocoa.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing cocoa

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Experts say climate change has led to extreme rainfall and droughts which have decreased cocoa farmers' crops.

From BBC Jul. 21, 2026

The group, which says it runs the world's biggest chocolate factory in Belgium and provides cocoa products to nearly all major makers, warned however that any improvement would be "gradual".

From Barron's Jul. 9, 2026

This law aims to ensure that rubber, wood and cocoa products the bloc imports aren’t contributing to global deforestation.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 25, 2026

They reminisce about the brown bread: those sweet, dark little wheat loaves scented with honey, molasses, cocoa powder and espresso.

From Salon Jun. 22, 2026

Ob drank his cocoa and looked out the front window while I got the table spread.

From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant

Cocoa topped $12,000 a metric ton in late 2024, before falling below $3,000 earlier this year.

From The Wall Street Journal May 8, 2026

The country's equivalent of Cocobod - the Coffee and Cocoa Council - also guaranteed a price last year that is now way above the international price.

From BBC Mar. 8, 2026

In response to the hardship faced by producers, the state's Coffee Cocoa Council announced in January it would buy at the record price tens of thousands of tonnes of cocoa piling up across the country.

From Barron's Mar. 4, 2026

Cocoa behaved differently, with elevated levels in stems, leaves, and fruits.

From Science Daily Feb. 17, 2026

I put Cocoa in my backpack, slip it on, and we follow Ms. Lena.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

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