What does choc mean?
"Choc" is an informal British English shortening of "chocolate," used to refer to the familiar sweet made from cacao beans. It appears most often in the plural — a box of chocs, a bag of chocs — where it denotes individual chocolates or pieces of confectionery rather than the substance itself. The clipped form carries a light, casual, affectionate tone, typical of friendly conversation, advertising copy, and everyday speech rather than formal writing. It has also spawned playful derivatives such as "chocaholic" (or "chocoholic"), describing someone devoted to chocolate. Because it is so easily confused in spelling with "chock" — a wedge or brace, best known from "chock-full" — writers should be careful to keep the two distinct. Though chiefly British, the term is widely understood across English-speaking countries thanks to its frequent appearance on packaging and in popular culture, making it a handy, warm little word for any conversation about sweets.
nounAn informal shortening of "chocolate," referring to the sweet food made from roasted and ground cacao beans, typically eaten as a bar or in confectionery.
- Chocolate as a food or confection, especially in plural form referring to individual chocolates or sweets.
"She always keeps a few chocs in her desk drawer for an afternoon pick-me-up."
"He brought home a box of chocs after work."
"I'm trying to cut down on chocs before the holidays."
The standard plural is formed by adding -s.
"The gift set came with six assorted chocs."
Brits have been shortening "chocolate" to "choc" since at least the 1880s — making it one of the oldest casual clippings in the language.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of choc
"Choc" is a simple clipping of "chocolate," a word English borrowed from French in the early 17th century, which itself came from Spanish "chocolate." The Spanish term ultimately traces back to Nahuatl, the Aztec language, where a related word described a drink made from cacao beans. The shortened form arose naturally in colloquial British English during the late 19th century and remains in common informal use today.
Related word forms
How choc is actually used
Informal register, used chiefly in British English; in American English "chocolate" or "candy" is more common in everyday speech.
Easily confused with choc
"Chock" is a wedge used to prevent movement (as in "chock-full"), whereas "choc" is simply an informal abbreviation of chocolate.