cocktail

1 of 3

noun (1)

cock·​tail ˈkäk-ˌtāl How to pronounce cocktail (audio)
1
a
: a usually iced drink of wine or distilled liquor mixed with flavoring ingredients
b
: something resembling or suggesting such a drink as being a mixture of often diverse elements or ingredients
a cocktail of remembered incidents and pure imaginationCharlotte Low
a cocktail of herbicides
c
: a mixture of agents usually in solution that is taken or used especially for medical treatment or diagnosis
2
: an appetizer served as a first course at a meal

cocktail

2 of 3

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or set aside for cocktails
a cocktail hour
2
: designed for semiformal wear
a cocktail dress

cocktail

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a horse with its tail docked

Examples of cocktail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Breed shouted to thundering applause from the patio at the hip cocktail bar Anina. Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Absinthe is also a key component of some classic cocktails, including the Sazerac, Death in the Afternoon, and Absinthe Frappe. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 Also new are several mezcal cocktails, including the Pasion de Maiz and Old Town Fashioned. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 When Wired magazine in January ran a test in which bar patrons were given two cocktails — one from a bartender, the other from AI — based on their preferred flavors, half the patrons couldn’t tell which was man-made. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 From the Design District's modern art galleries and sleek showrooms to the Main Street District's swanky cocktail bars and designer shopping, there's a new adventure waiting around every corner in Dallas. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Here are nine strawberry cocktails to try making at home. Jillian Dara, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Keep pushing the culinary cocktail boundaries by mixing up our Spicy Tomato Gin and Tonic and Cherry Tomato Margarita at home. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2024 The bar has the classics, a selection $10 zero-alcohol cocktails, and a spring and summer focus on margaritas. The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cocktail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably from cock entry 1 + tail

Noun (2)

cock entry 1 + tail

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1781, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cocktail was in 1781

Dictionary Entries Near cocktail

Cite this Entry

“Cocktail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocktail. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cocktail

noun
cock·​tail
ˈkäk-ˌtāl
1
: an iced drink of distilled liquor mixed with flavoring ingredients
2
: an appetizer (as tomato juice) served as a first course at a meal

Medical Definition

cocktail

noun
cock·​tail ˈkäk-ˌtāl How to pronounce cocktail (audio)
: a mixture of agents usually in solution that is taken or used especially for medical treatment or diagnosis
a potent cocktail of antiretroviral drugsZia Jaffrey
chemotherapy cocktails to treat cancerJ. L. Swerdlow

More from Merriam-Webster on cocktail

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