coca

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noun co·ca \ˈkō-kə\

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

Recent Examples of coca from the Web

Colombian anti-narcotic police used a helicopter to scatter leaflets over a town asking for tips on the locations of coca labs, information on leaders of Colombia’s largest crime gang and help in finding criminals who have killed police officers.

— associated press, Washington Post, "AP PHOTOS: Editor selections from Latin America, Caribbean", 2 June 2017
In 2016 alone, coca crops here swelled by 20 percent, according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

— jim wyss, miamiherald, "Colombia’s messy peace tries the patience of war-weary nation", 30 May 2017
Authorities have set a goal of destroying 100,000 hectares of coca crops this year through a combination of manual eradication and voluntary crop substitution agreements with farmers.

— alba tobella, The Seattle Times, "Drug gangs take aim at police officers amid coca crackdown", 27 May 2017
Producing more cocaine Cocaine production has surged since October of 2015 when the Colombian government stopped aerial spraying of herbicides over coca fields used to make cocaine, Miller said.

— ryan van velzer, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Cocaine comes roaring back to South Florida — and then some", 26 May 2017
Under the terms of its contract, the company has 88 aircraft and 307 employees – 139 of them American – flying missions to eradicate coca fields in Colombia.

— dan baum, WIRED, "This Gun For Hire", 1 Feb. 2003

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

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First Known Use: 1577

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

coca

play

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