chocolate

chocolate — noun

1. a sweet treat produced from ground cacao beans, commonly formed into bars and ad

1.nounA1
Definition

a sweet treat produced from ground cacao beans, commonly formed into bars and added to desserts or other dishes

Example

Theo bought a bar of dark chocolate at the corner shop.

collocation: bar of chocolate

This cake recipe needs two hundred grams of melted chocolate.

melted chocolate in baking

Common collocations
  • dark chocolate
  • milk chocolate
  • white chocolate
  • melted chocolate
  • chocolate bar
  • chocolate cake
  • chocolate sauce
  • chocolate chip

Usage Note

Uncountable in this sense — you cannot say 'a chocolate' when referring to the food ingredient. Use 'a piece of chocolate' or 'some chocolate'.

Common Mistakes

Can I have a chocolate on my cake?
Can I have some chocolate on my cake?
when talking about the ingredient or sauce, chocolate is uncountable.
I need a chocolate for the recipe.
I need some chocolate for the recipe.
the food ingredient is uncountable; use 'a chocolate' only for individual sweets.

2. a bite-sized confection that contains or is coated in chocolate, sometimes with

2.nounA2
Definition

a bite-sized confection that contains or is coated in chocolate, sometimes with a soft filling

Example

Leila gave each child a chocolate from the fancy box.

countable: a chocolate / chocolates

Priya bought a box of chocolates for her aunt's birthday.

collocation: a box of chocolates

Common collocations
  • box of chocolates
  • chocolate truffle
  • filled chocolates
  • handmade chocolates
  • chocolate assortment
Synonyms
  • truffle

    a specific type of rich chocolate sweet with a soft centre, usually more expensive

  • praline

    a chocolate with a nut filling, less common as a general term

Usage Note

Countable in this sense — the plural form 'chocolates' is very common when referring to a selection of sweets.

Common Mistakes

She ate too many chocolate and felt sick.
She ate too many chocolates and felt sick.
when talking about individual sweets, chocolates is countable and takes a plural -s.
This box of chocolate looks expensive.
This box of chocolates looks expensive.
a box containing several sweets is a 'box of chocolates'.

3. a warm beverage that combines powdered chocolate with hot milk or water, sweeten

3.nounA2
Definition

a warm beverage that combines powdered chocolate with hot milk or water, sweetened to taste

Example

The barista made a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream.

collocation: hot chocolate

Nadia drinks a mug of hot chocolate before bed every night.

collocation: a mug of hot chocolate

Common collocations
  • hot chocolate
  • mug of chocolate
  • cup of hot chocolate
  • chocolate drink
  • whipped cream on chocolate
Synonyms
  • cocoa

    more specific — made with cocoa powder rather than block chocolate; often used interchangeably in casual speech

Usage Note

Often called 'hot chocolate' to distinguish it from the food. Countable when referring to a single serving ('a hot chocolate'), uncountable when referring to the drink in general.

Common Mistakes

I ordered a chocolate.' (when meaning a hot drink)
I ordered a hot chocolate.
add 'hot' to avoid confusion with the food or a sweet.
Hot chocolates are my favourite winter drink.
Hot chocolate is my favourite winter drink.
when referring to the type of drink in general, use the uncountable form.

4. a shade of deep brown like that of the food chocolate

4.nounB1
Definition

a shade of deep brown like that of the food chocolate

Example

Yara painted her living room walls a rich chocolate colour.

chocolate colour / chocolate brown

The sofa was a warm chocolate brown that matched the floor.

Common collocations
  • chocolate brown
  • chocolate colour
  • chocolate-coloured
  • deep chocolate shade
  • rich chocolate tone
Synonyms
  • brown

    the broader colour category; chocolate is a specific shade of brown

  • chestnut

    a reddish-brown colour; slightly warmer than chocolate

Usage Note

Commonly used in compound forms: 'chocolate brown', 'chocolate-coloured'. Not used to describe food in this sense — it only refers to a colour.

Common Mistakes

I want to paint my room chocolate.
I want to paint my room chocolate brown.
use 'chocolate brown' or 'chocolate colour' for clarity.
The chocolate curtains look nice.
The chocolate-coloured curtains look nice.
add '-coloured' or 'brown' to avoid confusion with the food.

chocolate — adjective

Word family

  • chocolaty
    adjectiveB2
  • chocolatier
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Chocolate, cocoa, and cacao all come from the same plant but refer to different products. Cacao refers to the raw, unprocessed beans or the tropical tree that produces them — it has a bitter, earthy taste. Cocoa is the powder made from roasted, ground cacao beans after most of the fat (cocoa butter) has been removed; it is used in baking and in making hot drinks. Chocolate is the sweet, solid food made by mixing cocoa solids with cocoa butter and sugar, then processing it into bars or other forms. For example: 'This recipe uses cocoa powder, not melted chocolate.' And: 'Cacao nibs have a bitter taste, unlike sweet milk chocolate.'

cocoa ↗cacaochocolate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • dark chocolate
  • milk chocolate
  • white chocolate
  • chocolate bar
  • chocolate cake
  • chocolate sauce
  • chocolate chip
  • chocolate mousse
  • chocolate brownie
  • chocolate truffle

Phrases

  • a bar of chocolate
  • a piece of chocolate
  • a box of chocolates
  • a cup of hot chocolate
  • a mug of chocolate

Prepositions

  • with chocolate
  • in chocolate
  • of chocolate
  • chocolate with

Etymology

NahuatlSpanishEnglish

The word chocolate entered English from Spanish in the early 1600s. Spanish chocolate came from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word xocolātl, which combines xococ meaning 'bitter' and ātl meaning 'water' — referring to the bitter drink the Aztecs made from cacao beans. The first English uses referred to the drink; the solid eating chocolate was developed much later, in the 19th century.