chocolate
chocolate
Pronunciation
/ˈtʃɒk.lət/.
First syllable (/ˈtʃɒk/):
/tʃ/ - voiceless palato-alveolar affricate (as in "chair")
/ɒ/ - open-mid back rounded vowel (as in "cot" in some dialects, or the first vowel in "chocolate" in British English)
/k/ - voiceless velar stop (as in "cat")
Second syllable (/lət/):
/l/ - alveolar lateral approximant (as in "light")
/ə/ - schwa, a mid-central vowel (as in the "a" in "about")
/t/ - voiceless alveolar stop (as in "top")
Word Form Variations
1. Noun:
Singular: chocolate (referring to the food item in general, or a single piece/bar)
Example: I love chocolate.
Example: I ate a chocolate. (meaning a chocolate bar or candy)
Plural: chocolates (referring to multiple pieces, varieties, or a box of chocolate candies)
Example: She received a box of chocolates for her birthday.
Example: There are many different types of chocolates.
2. Adjective:
chocolate (used to describe something that is made of, flavored with, or has the color of chocolate)
Example: This is a chocolate cake.
Example: She wore a chocolate brown dress.
chocolaty or chocolatey (informal, describing something that has the flavor or smell of chocolate)
Example: The ice cream had a rich, chocolaty taste.
3. Verb:
While not a commonly used verb in everyday language, "chocolate" can be used as a verb, often meaning "to cover with chocolate" or "to add chocolate to."
Base form: chocolate
Past tense: chocolated
Past participle: chocolated
Present participle/Gerund: chocolating
Example: She chocolated the strawberries. (She covered them in chocolate.)
Example: The process involves chocolating the peanuts.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A delectable food product, typically sweet, made from roasted and ground cacao beans, often combined with sugar, milk solids, and other ingredients, enjoyed in various forms such as bars, candies, and beverages.
Synonyms: cocoa (in some contexts, referring to the powder or drink), cacao (referring to the bean), confection, sweet, treat.
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for the food item itself, as it's a specific substance. One could consider "savory food" as a broad conceptual opposite.)
A specific piece or serving of the aforementioned food product, especially a small, bite-sized confection or a bar.
Synonyms: candy, bonbon, truffle, bar, piece.
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a specific piece of chocolate.)
A rich, dark brown color resembling that of milk or dark chocolate.
Synonyms: cocoa, brunette, sepia, umber, fawn (lighter shades).
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a color, but could be contrasted with lighter or brighter colors like "white," "yellow," etc.)
Adjective
Having the rich, distinctive flavor or aroma of chocolate.
Synonyms: rich, sweet, cocoa-flavored, cacao-infused.
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for flavor; could be contrasted with other flavors like "vanilla," "fruity," "savory," etc.)
Of a deep, dark brown color, similar to that of chocolate.
Synonyms: brown, dark brown, cocoa-colored, sepia-toned, earthy, mahogany.
Antonyms: white, pale, light-colored.
Made from or containing chocolate.
Synonyms: cacao-based, cocoa-laden, confectionary (when referring to items).
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; could be contrasted with "non-chocolate" or "plain.")
Verb
To coat, cover, or infuse something with chocolate.
Synonyms: enrobe, glaze, cover, dip, drizzle, infuse.
Antonyms: strip (of coating), remove (coating), uncoat.
To add chocolate to a dish or beverage.
Synonyms: flavor, sweeten (with chocolate), enhance (with chocolate).
Antonyms: remove (chocolate), plain (make plain).
Examples of Use
Books:
"Life is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get." (Winston Groom, Forrest Gump, 1986) - Here, "chocolates" is used as a plural noun referring to a variety of individual confections within a box.
"She was a vision in a chocolate-brown dress, the color complementing her radiant smile." - Here, "chocolate" functions as an adjective describing the specific shade of brown.
"The aroma of melting chocolate filled the kitchen, a promise of the decadent dessert to come." - Here, "chocolate" is used as a singular noun referring to the food substance.
Newspapers:
"Local bakery wins award for best chocolate chip cookies." (The Daily Chronicle) - Here, "chocolate" acts as an adjective modifying "chip cookies," indicating their flavor.
"Global cocoa prices surge amidst concerns over West African chocolate production." (Financial Times) - Here, "chocolate" is used as a noun referring to the industry or the product itself in a broader economic context.
"Researchers discover new health benefits of dark chocolate." (The Guardian) - Here, "chocolate" is a noun, with "dark" serving as an adjective to specify the type.
Online Publications:
"How to make the perfect molten lava chocolate cake at home." (Serious Eats) - Here, "chocolate" is an adjective specifying the type of cake.
"Review: Is this the world's most expensive chocolate bar?" (The Sweets Insider) - Here, "chocolate" is an adjective describing the type of bar.
"Our comprehensive guide to ethically sourced chocolate brands." (Treehugger.com) - Here, "chocolate" is a noun referring to the product, used in a general sense.
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "Who wants a chocolate frog?" (Dialogue from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, 2001) - Here, "chocolate" is an adjective describing the type of magical candy.
Television Series: "This detective has a strange addiction to chocolate donuts." (Character description in a crime drama, generic example) - Here, "chocolate" is an adjective specifying the donut's flavor.
Music (Song Title/Lyric): "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The Beatles has a line "Living is easy with eyes closed / Misunderstanding all you see / It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out / It doesn't matter much to me." While not directly about chocolate, songs frequently use "chocolate" in lyrics to evoke sensory pleasure or comfort, e.g., "Sweet chocolate dreams." (Generic pop song lyric) - Here, "chocolate" acts as an adjective describing the dreams.
Video Games: "Collect all the chocolate coins to unlock the next level!" (Instruction in a casual mobile game, generic example) - Here, "chocolate" is an adjective describing the type of coin.
Social Media (Instagram caption): "Indulging in some artisanal dark chocolate tonight. Pure bliss! #chocoholic #dessertlove" - Here, "chocolate" is a noun, modified by "dark," and used generally to refer to the food.
General Public Discourse:
"Can you pass me a piece of that chocolate?" (Everyday conversation at a party) - Here, "chocolate" is a singular noun referring to a piece of chocolate candy or a chocolate bar.
"I'm craving something chocolatey right now." (Informal spoken language) - Here, "chocolatey" is an informal adjective meaning having the taste or smell of chocolate.
"My favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate." (Common response to a question about preferences) - Here, "chocolate" is an adjective describing the flavor.
"They decided to chocolate the strawberries for the dessert platter." (Less common, but understandable in a culinary context, especially among chefs or home cooks) - Here, "chocolate" is used as a verb meaning to cover with chocolate.
10 Famous Quotes Using Chocolate
"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." (Forrest Gump, film, 1994)
"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." (Charles M. Schulz, comic strip artist and creator of Peanuts)
"Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of the pieces." (Judith Viorst, author and poet)
"Anything is good if it's made of chocolate." (Jo Brand, comedian)
"There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate." (Linda Grayson, author)
"Chocolate is happiness that you can eat." (Ursula Kohaupt, German writer)
"Caramels are only a fad. Chocolate is a permanent thing." (Milton S. Hershey, founder of The Hershey Company)
"What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate." (Katharine Hepburn, actress, attributed)
"The 12-step program for chocolate addicts: Never be more than 12 steps away from chocolate." (Unknown)
"Chocolate is not a food. It's a medicine." (Unknown, often attributed to various sources)
Etymology
The word "chocolate" has a fascinating journey through different languages!
It ultimately comes from the Nahuatl language, which was spoken by the Aztec people in what is now Mexico. The Aztecs had a bitter drink made from cacao beans, and there's some debate about the exact original Nahuatl word.
One popular theory suggests it came from "xocoatl" (pronounced something like "shoh-koh-ah-tl"), which meant "bitter water." This makes sense because the original Aztec drink was indeed bitter and watery, often spiced with things like chili peppers, not sweet and solid like most chocolate we know today.
Another theory points to a Nahuatl word like "chicolatl," which might have referred to the whisking stick used to create the frothy foam on the drink.
When the Spanish arrived in the Americas in the 16th century, they encountered this drink and adopted the word, adapting it into their own language as "chocolate."
The first known use of "chocolate" in English was around 1604. At that time, and for a long while after, "chocolate" still primarily referred to a drink, not the solid bar we commonly think of today. It was a luxury item, often sweetened and spiced, and mainly consumed by the wealthy in Europe.
So, in simple terms: "Chocolate" started as a word in the Aztec language describing a bitter, frothy drink made from cacao beans. The Spanish picked it up, and then it eventually made its way into English, initially still referring to a beverage, before evolving into the delicious solid treat we enjoy today.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Chocolate
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "chocolate":
Life is like a box of chocolates. (Common idiom, meaning life is full of uncertainties and surprises)
Chocolate addict/chocoholic. (Common informal phrase, referring to someone who loves chocolate intensely)
Chocolate heaven. (Phrase describing a place or experience filled with delicious chocolate)
Dark chocolate moment. (Lesser-known, implying a moment of rich, intense pleasure or a slightly melancholic but indulgent mood)
A chocolate fountain of joy. (Original phrase, emphasizing overflowing happiness or abundance)
To be chocolate-covered. (Literal descriptive phrase, meaning to be coated in chocolate)
Hot chocolate weather. (Phrase referring to cold weather ideal for drinking hot chocolate)
To get your chocolate fix. (Informal phrase, meaning to satisfy a craving for chocolate)
Melting like chocolate in the sun. (Descriptive phrase, implying something is quickly dissolving, weakening, or succumbing to warmth/pressure)
Sweet as chocolate. (Descriptive phrase, indicating extreme sweetness or pleasantness, often used colloquially)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of chocolate from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
