coca
noun
\
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
Examples of coca in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fighting is intensifying as the cultivation of the coca leaf, the building block of cocaine, has soared to record highs, topping even levels seen when the FARC ruled large swaths of the region. — Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, "Two years after Colombia’s peace accord, the historic pact is in jeopardy," 16 June 2018 Estimated production of coca — the raw material for cocaine— increased 19 percent to 921 metric tons. — Jim Wyss, miamiherald, "Colombia's latest weapon in the war on drugs? Crop-killing drones," 27 June 2018 The president-elect aims to completely eradicate coca, supporting the use of aerial spraying to do so. — Renae Reints, Fortune, "Populist Conservative Iván Duque Elected President of Colombia," 18 June 2018 Although the United States has poured billions of dollars into fighting Colombia’s coca crops — the raw ingredient of cocaine — the problem is as bad as ever. — Jim Wyss, miamiherald, "Ivan Duque beats former guerrilla to win Colombia's presidential election," 17 June 2018 The two younger children, a boy and girl, showed lower levels of coca use. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "How Inca Mummies Helped a Soccer Player Who Was Banned from the World Cup," 29 June 2018 More than half of this amount came from Colombia, where coca-bush cultivation has significantly increased. — The Economist, "Global drug production," 28 June 2018 Indigenous groups living in the Andes have consumed coca for hundreds of years. — National Geographic, "How Ancient Mummies Helped This Soccer Player Get to the World Cup," 26 June 2018 Duque, meanwhile, has pledged to redouble efforts to combat a record surge of coca - the building bloc of cocaine. — Anthony Faiola, chicagotribune.com, "'D.C. Colombian' squares off against former guerrilla as Colombians vote," 17 June 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for coca
coca
noun
\
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
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