cacao-tree

A farmer harvests ripe pods from a cacao-tree.

Definition

Noun:
- A tropical tree, Theobroma cacao, from whose seeds cocoa and chocolate are made. It is the source of cacao beans.

Usage Examples

Advanced Usage

"cacao-tree cultivation": the agricultural practice of growing cacao trees.
- Cacao-tree cultivation has a long history in Central and South America. (The farming of this tree for chocolate production.)
"cacao-tree pod": the fruit of the cacao tree, containing cacao beans.
- Each cacao-tree pod contains 20 to 50 beans. (The fruit's interior.)

Variants and Related Words

Cacao (n): the seeds of the cacao tree, used to make chocolate.
- The cacao beans were roasted to produce cocoa powder. (The raw material from the tree.)
Cocoa (n): a powder made from roasted cacao beans, or a hot drink made from this powder.
- She drank a cup of cocoa before bed. (A beverage derived from cacao.)
Chocolate (n): a food made from cacao beans, often sweetened.
- Dark chocolate contains a high percentage of cacao. (The final product.)

Synonyms

Cacao plant: a synonym for the cacao-tree, often used in botanical contexts.
Theobroma cacao: the scientific name for the cacao-tree.

Related Idioms

None specific to "cacao-tree," but related to cacao:
- "Cacao bean": the seed of the cacao-tree, sometimes used metaphorically to refer to a valuable resource.
  - The cacao bean is the heart of the chocolate industry. (The essential component.)

Phrasal Verbs