Theobroma

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A genus of flowering plants that includes cacao, the source of chocolate, known for its sweet edible seeds
2. Plants in this genus are typically found in tropical regions and have important economic and cultural significance
3. Theobroma also refers to specific species such as Theobroma cacao, which is cultivated for its seeds used in confectionery and beverages

Etymology: Theobroma is a Greek compound: "theos" meaning "god" and "broma" meaning "food". Linnaeus gave the genus this name in the eighteenth century, so the name is a scientific coinage rather than an ancient one. The Greek words were chosen to suggest that the cacao tree's seeds were fit for the gods, an idea that fits the plant's importance in the cultures of Mesoamerica long before European botanists named it. The genus includes the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao, whose seeds are the raw material of chocolate. Because the name is a Latinised form of two Greek roots, it passed into European languages in a learned form, and French "théobrome" follows the same pattern. The English word is simply the botanical name carried over unchanged, which is why it is familiar mainly to botanists and chocolate historians rather than to ordinary speakers.

Synonyms: cacao, cocoa plant, chocolate tree