carob bean

5.1

A long dark brown pod from a carob tree with a sweet soft inside used like chocolate

noun
/ˈkɛrəb bin/

: algarrobo

The carob bean is often ground into a powder to use as a chocolate substitute in baking.

Examples

She added chopped carob bean pods to her homemade granola for a naturally sweet flavor.
Farmers frequently use carob beans as animal feed because of their high nutritional value.
The carob bean is often used as a chocolate substitute.
Many people enjoy carob beans in their desserts.
The carob bean is often ground into a powder to use as a chocolate substitute in baking.
She added chopped carob bean pods to her homemade granola for a naturally sweet flavor.
Farmers frequently use carob beans as animal feed because of their high nutritional value.

Synonyms

bean

vscarob bean

512 1.0

An edible seed or pod from plants like peas and lentils used for food

is a particular long sweet pod used as a chocolate substitute

carob

vscarob bean

1 7.7

A long brown pod from the Mediterranean tree with sweet edible pulp

is the same meaning but uses an added noun form

locust bean

vscarob bean

7.7

A long pod from the carob tree with sweet pulp used like chocolate and as animal feed

is the general term rather than this tree-specific name

algarroba bean

vscarob bean

Specialized

9.9

A long pod with sweet pulp and small beans people and animals eat, often used like chocolate

is the same pod but emphasises food use and chocolate replacement

locust pod

vscarob bean

9.5

A long seed pod from a tree with sweet pulp and small beans used for food and animal feed

is specifically from the Mediterranean tree rather than that different tree

algarroba

vscarob bean

9.9

A Mediterranean tree that always has green leaves and grows sweet edible pods used like chocolate

is the specific pod rather than the whole tree

Surface Forms

carob bean singular

carob beans plural

Morphology

carob + bean

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound: 'carob' (the pod with sweet pulp) combined with 'bean' (an edible seed/pod) yields the edible pod/seed of the carob tree. The composition follows a common and predictable pattern found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Carob bean The name carob bean comes from the long, dark pod of the carob tree that looks like a big bean. People have eaten or ground its sweet pulp and used it as a natural 'chocolate substitute', so the name now means that edible pod used in food.