carob
carob Lexical Profile
carob Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A sweet brownish powder or paste made from the ground pulp of carob pods, widely used in baking and confectionery as a caffeine-free substitute for chocolate or cocoa.
"Because she is sensitive to caffeine, the baker made the brownies with carob instead of traditional cocoa powder."
The long, leathery, dark brown edible fruit pod of the Mediterranean carob tree, containing a sweet, chocolate-flavored pulp and hard seeds.
"During the harvest season, farmers gather the ripened carobs from the ground to dry them in the sun."
An evergreen flowering shrub or tree (Ceratonia siliqua) of the legume family Fabaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and the Middle East, cultivated for its edible pods and drought tolerance.
"The ancient carob provided welcome shade along the dry, rocky hillside of the island."
• Rhymes for carob
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 16th century via Old French carobe and Medieval Latin carrubium from Arabic kharrūb ('locust bean pod'), which is also the ultimate linguistic source of the weight unit 'carat', as carob seeds were historically used as standard weights for gemstones.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.