Chocolate

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃɒk.(ə.)lɪt/

Definitions

1. A sweet, typically brown food made from roasted cacao beans, often eaten as candy or used in desserts and beverages
2. A confection or beverage produced by processing fermented cacao pods into a rich, dark brown mixture typically sweetened and consumed as a treat or flavoring
3. A preparation made from ground cacao seeds combined with sugar and often milk, yielding a smooth substance enjoyed as candy, drink, or baking ingredient

Etymology: The most striking fact here is how far the Spanish word travelled from the drink it named. Chocolate reached English from Spanish "chocolate", which in turn came from the Classical Nahuatl "chocolātl", the name of the bitter, frothy beverage made from cacao beans by the peoples of Mesoamerica. Its exact Nahuatl origin is uncertain, so the word's deepest roots remain a mystery even as its path into European languages is well documented. The drink that Spanish colonists encountered in the sixteenth century was nothing like the sweet brown food the word now describes. It was typically unsweetened, often flavoured with chilli or spices, and served cold and foamy. Sugar was added only after Europeans adopted the beverage, and the sweetened version gradually became the standard form, so the meaning shifted from a savoury drink toward the confection we know today.

Synonyms: cocoa, sweets, confectionery, dessert, treat

Antonyms: bitter, sour, unpleasant, disgusting, tasteless