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cocoa

n.
US //ˈkoʊkoʊ// UK //kˈəʊkəʊ// co·coa
  1. 1 powder for cooking (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Cooking

    a brown powder made from crushed beans, used to make chocolate or for baking.

    the unsweetened powder produced by roasting and grinding the fatty seeds of the cacao tree.

    Example

    The recipe says to sift the cocoa with the flour before adding the eggs.

    Example

    High-quality cocoa contains a significant percentage of cocoa butter, which contributes to the rich texture of the finished ganache.
  2. 2 a hot drink (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a warm, sweet drink made by mixing cocoa powder with hot milk or water.

    a beverage consisting of cocoa powder, sugar, and a liquid base, typically milk.

    Example

    We sat by the fire and drank hot cocoa after a long day of skiing.

    Example

    The children requested mugs of cocoa topped with marshmallows to warm themselves after playing in the snow for several hours.
    • hot chocolate
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  1. 3 the seeds (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    the seeds of a tropical tree that are used to make chocolate.

    the dried and partially fermented fatty seeds of the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao.

    Example

    The farmers harvest the cocoa pods and dry the beans in the sun.

    Example

    Fluctuations in the global price of raw cocoa have a direct impact on the profit margins of artisanal chocolate manufacturers.
    • cacao beans
  2. 4 computing API (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Computing

    a set of tools used by programmers to build software for Apple computers.

    an object-oriented application programming interface (API) for the macOS operating system.

    Example

    The developer used Cocoa to create the new app for the Mac.

    Example

    Proficiency in the Cocoa framework is essential for engineers specialising in native desktop applications for the Apple ecosystem.

Etymology 1

From Spanish cacao, from Classical Nahuatl cacahuatl. The form cocoa came about by confusion with coco, popularized by Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language. Doublet of cacao.

Etymology 2

By confusion with cocoa, popularized by Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language.

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