carob

[kar-uhb]

noun

1. a Mediterranean tree, Ceratonia siliqua, of the legume family, bearing long, leathery pods containing hard seeds and sweet, edible pulp.

2. Also called St. John's-bread, algarroba, locust bean. the pod of this tree, the source of various foodstuffs, including a substitute for chocolate, as well as substances having several industrial uses, and sometimes used as food for animals.

3. a powder made from the ground pods and seeds of this tree and used in cooking, especially as a substitute for chocolate.

carob

/ ˈkærəb /

noun

1. Also called: algarroba. an evergreen leguminous Mediterranean tree, Ceratonia siliqua, with compound leaves and edible pods

2. Also called: algarroba.  Saint John's bread. the long blackish sugary pod of this tree, used as a substitute for chocolate and for animal fodder

Word History and Origins

Origin of carob¹

1540–50; < Middle French carobe < Medieval Latin carrūbium < Arabic kharrūb bean-pods, carobs

Word History and Origins

Origin of carob¹

C16: from Old French carobe, from Medieval Latin carrūbium, from Arabic al kharrūbah

Example Sentences

The company opened its production facility in March, where staff process not cacao beans but carob husks.

From BBC

Eventually, he settled on the eight most frequently mentioned: desert dates, Yemeni Sidr honey, sycamore figs, Israeli golden raisins, prickly juniper berries, carob fruit, black cumin and frankincense.

From New York Times

I thought bulk bins full of carob-covered raisins were long in my past, so imagine my surprise that carob has made a resurgence of sorts.

From Seattle Times

The old green Kia saloon sits in the shade of a carob tree just off the main road near Ibiza Town.

From BBC

In 2013, an environmental inspection found that a third of the carob trees – a plant known to survive in harsh environments – near the SQM mine had died.

From Seattle Times