coca

noun co·ca \ ˈkō-kə \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of coca

1 : any of several South American shrubs (genus Erythroxylon, family Erythroxylaceae); especially : one (E. coca) that is the primary source of cocaine

2 : dried leaves of a coca (especially Erythroxylon coca) containing alkaloids including cocaine

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Recent Examples of coca from the Web

The unrest marked the decline of traditional political parties in that nation and the rise of new leaders including Evo Morales, a populist leader of coca growers who later became Bolivia's first indigenous president.

— curt anderson, Fox News, "Ex-Bolivian president loses civil suit involving 2003 unrest," 4 Apr. 2018
The men sat separately, chewing coca leaves, and had vacant stares.

— jon lee anderson, Condé Nast Traveler, "Stepping Beyond Cartagena: Exploring Colombia's Northern Reaches," 21 Mar. 2018
Morales, a former coca farmer and the labor leader, was angry with the administration’s crackdown on the cultivation of the plants used for the production of cocaine, Reyes said.

— david ovalle, miamiherald, "Landmark case in Florida pits Bolivia’s ex-leader against villagers attacked by his army | Miami Herald," 6 Mar. 2018
In Bolivia, for example, a 10-day journey begins with a drive from La Paz to Sajama National Park, where you’ll get acclimated to the altitude (which exceeds 14,000 feet) with coca tea in your private yurt.

— leena kim, Town & Country, "Luxury Pop-Up Hotels Are the Ultimate New Travel Adventure," 13 Mar. 2018
Rather than part of the problem, marijuana is being viewed as one solution to Colombia’s struggle against illicit narcotics — particularly coca leaf, the building block of cocaine.

— anthony faiola, Washington Post, "Colombia looks to become the world’s supplier of legal pot," 10 Mar. 2018
Cocaine comes from coca leaves grown in South America and about 90 percent of the powder shipped to the United States is produced in labs in Colombia, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Airline crew member tried smuggling $160,000 worth of cocaine by strapping it to his legs," 22 Sep. 2017
Think snorting cocaine rather than chewing coca leaves.

— jill u. adams, Washington Post, "How chocolate and sugary things may prime your brain to want more," 10 Feb. 2018
In 1914, Congress backed the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act, which regulated and taxed products derived from the opium plant and the coca leaves (used to produce cocaine).

— jerry mitchell and laura ungar, The Courier-Journal, "Drugs kill more Americans than guns and cars. Kentucky was ground zero from the start," 28 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coca.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of coca

Spanish, from Quechua kuka

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1577

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Medical Dictionary

coca

noun co·ca \ ˈkō-kə \

medical Definition of coca

1 : any of several South American shrubs (genus Erythroxylon of the family Erythroxylaceae); especially : one (E. coca) that is the primary source of cocaine

2 : dried leaves of a coca (as Erythroxylon coca) containing alkaloids including cocaine