chocolate
Americannoun
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chocolates
plural
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a preparation of the seeds of cacao, roasted, husked, and ground, often sweetened and flavored, as with vanilla.
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a beverage made by dissolving such a preparation in milk or water, served hot or cold.
a cup of hot chocolate.
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candy made from such a preparation.
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an individual piece of this candy.
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any syrup or flavoring made from this preparation or artificially imitating its flavor.
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a dark brown color.
adjective
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made, flavored, or covered with chocolate.
chocolate cake; chocolate ice cream.
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having the color of chocolate; dark-brown.
noun
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a food preparation made from roasted ground cacao seeds, usually sweetened and flavoured
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a drink or sweetmeat made from this
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a moderate to deep brown colour
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( as adjective )
a chocolate carpet
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Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of chocolate
First recorded in 1600–1610; from Spanish, from Nahuatl chocolātl, from chocol-, of unknown meaning (but perhaps from xococ “bitter, sour”) + ātl “water”
Explanation
Chocolate needs little introduction or definition — it is world famous as a candy, dessert ingredient, hot drink, holiday gift, flavor, and common craving. Roasted cacao beans make chocolate. If you say, "I want chocolate," this usually means a candy bar or piece of chocolate, though chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate shakes all have chocolate as an ingredient. If someone tells you, "My living room is chocolate," don't get too excited — it means the walls are painted the same rich brown as the delicious treat.
Vocabulary lists containing chocolate
English Words Derived from Nahuatl
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Brown
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National Cookie Day
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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:
It was dark and deeply moist, a little earthy without tasting particularly of vegetables, and studded throughout with hunks of chocolate.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
Unlike last time, when El Niño hit a market in deficit, supplies are ample today, partly thanks to confectioners shrinking chocolate bars and tweaking recipes to use less cocoa after the last price surge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
In the 2023-24 season, widespread fan action including littering pitches with tennis balls and chocolate coins resulted in the scrapping of an investment deal, despite the proposal winning majority support of clubs.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Lynch’s order included a chocolate milkshake and coffee, the cold sugar and caffeine fueling his ideas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
There was a cup of hot chocolate by the fire.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Lately, she’s making a feast of roles that all remind me of that old sitcom episode in which Lucille Ball gobbles chocolates on a conveyor belt.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
"Pens, paper, chocolates - anything to make it keep coming."
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
Mondelez International is also well positioned thanks to its diversified portfolio that reaches beyond chocolates into cookies, crackers, pastries and premium snacks.
From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026
This year, she said that she won’t be buying any brand-name chocolates at all.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
It showed a beagle holding a box of chocolates and said You’re my favorite treat dispenser.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
