concoction

noun

con·​coc·​tion kən-ˈkäk-shən 

kän-

plural concoctions

1

: something (such as a food or drink) that is concocted from various elements : something prepared or devised by combining different ingredients

an elaborate concoction

This concoction is a cross between hot chocolate and a grasshopper, a mixed drink that gets its minty kick from crème de menthe.

—Kim Steckler

… the disc offers quite an unusual concoction of old and new songs that are surprisingly cohesive.

—Jon Hetman

2

: the act of process of concocting something

One of these young men had a rare faculty in the concoction of gin-cocktails.

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

Synonyms

• brainchild
• coinage
• contrivance
• creation
• innovation
• invention
• wrinkle

Examples of concoction in a Sentence

the first submarine must have seemed like a wild concoction at the time

Recent Examples on the Web

The concoction typically combines vodka, ginger ale, grape juice, and lime juice. —Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024

These concoctions are designed to give patients immediate wrinkle-filling results, with the longer-term benefit of stimulating the body’s collagen production for firmer skin. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 May 2024

Perfect for cocktails, lemonade, and adding to tea, this simple concoction will become your new favorite secret ingredient. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 8 May 2024

The restaurant, which sits inside Saks Fifth Avenue, has two spirit-free concoctions on the menu. —Alyson Krueger, New York Times, 4 May 2024

On the drinks side, a list of 11 signature cocktails covers a mix of classics (an old fashioned and a margarita) to unique (The Fleur De Lis is made with spiced rum and blueberry puree) concoctions. —Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 3 May 2024

For 130 years afterwards, these life-saving concoctions — along with their considerable defects — have remained fundamentally the same. —Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2024

Some sources claim pubs that sold this concoction kept a statue of a black tomcat out front, a secret signal that people could buy gin there. —Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 26 Apr. 2024

Like the cough syrup-paint thinner concoction, she’s meant to be taken medicinally and poisonously in this production, projecting instead of concealing Sally’s turmoil. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 2