cocoa
1 Americannoun
adjective
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of or relating to cocoa.
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of the color of cocoa.
noun
noun
noun
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a powder made from cocoa beans after they have been roasted, ground, and freed from most of their fatty oil
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a hot or cold drink made from cocoa and milk or water
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a light to moderate brown colour
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( as adjective )
cocoa paint
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Etymology
Origin of cocoa1
First recorded in 1700–10; earlier cocao, cacoa, variant of cacao
Origin of cocoa2
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.
Vocabulary lists containing cocoa
Non-Color Words to Use When Describing Color
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Brown
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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.
Participants in the trial were randomly assigned to one of four groups: daily cocoa extract and multivitamin; daily cocoa extract and placebo; placebo and multivitamin; or placebo only.
From Science Daily • May 14, 2026
According to Which? chocolate prices have increased due to the global rise in the cost of cocoa after poor harvests in West Africa.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
The finished cake is topped with a chocolate-cardamom whipped cream that calls for just four ingredients: cocoa powder, ground cardamom, sugar and heavy cream.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
Hershey said in the middle of last year that it would impose a double-digit percentage price increase as a result of higher cocoa costs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
We worked quietly, and I stopped worrying about awkwardness and focused on my cocoa.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
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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.