Cocoa

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkəʊ.kəʊ/

Definitions

1. A finely ground product made from roasted cacao beans, commonly used in hot drinks and confections
2. A finely milled powder derived from roasted cacao seeds used in baking and beverages
3. A dry, brown substance produced by grinding cacao beans that imparts chocolate flavor

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "cocoa" is that it is a spelling mistake that stuck. The word comes from Spanish "cacao", which was borrowed from Classical Nahuatl "cacahuatl", the name for the bean of the cacao tree. English originally spelled it "cacao", and the bean is still called that today. The change to "cocoa" happened through confusion with "coco", the word for the coconut palm and its fruit. Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language helped popularize the new spelling, and it became the common form for the powder and drink made from the beans. Both forms are doublets: they descend from the same source but took different paths into English, and "cacao" kept the closer link to the original Nahuatl spelling.

Synonyms: chocolate, cacao