: a bitter crystalline alkaloid C17H21NO4 obtained from coca leaves that is used especially in the form of its hydrochloride medically as a topical anesthetic and illicitly for its euphoric effects and that may result in a compulsive psychological need
Examples of cocaine in a Sentence
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Drug traffickers moved into Cancún in the late 1990s, buying up mansions for themselves and using the secluded coasts of the state, Quintana Roo, to receive boatloads of Colombian cocaine.
—
Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
Rudofsky then quizzed Givens about Toney's business when he was actively engaged in drug trafficking -- most of which involved marijuana but by 2022 also involved multiple pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine as well as fentanyl.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2026
For instance scientists found cocaine in the blood of sharks off Rio de Janeiro, as these substances travel through waterways and accumulate in marine life.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
During the investigation into Felix-Ochoa and his co-conspirators, federal agents seized about 73,000 fentanyl pills, 21 kilos of pure fentanyl, 110 kilos of crystal methamphetamine, two kilos of cocaine and 24 firearms.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026
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Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
Rudofsky then quizzed Givens about Toney's business when he was actively engaged in drug trafficking -- most of which involved marijuana but by 2022 also involved multiple pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine as well as fentanyl.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2026
For instance scientists found cocaine in the blood of sharks off Rio de Janeiro, as these substances travel through waterways and accumulate in marine life.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
During the investigation into Felix-Ochoa and his co-conspirators, federal agents seized about 73,000 fentanyl pills, 21 kilos of pure fentanyl, 110 kilos of crystal methamphetamine, two kilos of cocaine and 24 firearms.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cocaine
Cite this Entry
“Cocaine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocaine. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cocaine
noun
co·caine
kō-ˈkān 
ˈkō-ˌkān
: a bitter habit-forming drug obtained from coca leaves and used in medicine to deaden pain and illegally for its euphoric effects
Medical Definition
cocaine
noun
co·caine
kō-ˈkān, ˈkō-ˌ
: a bitter crystalline alkaloid C17H21NO4 obtained from coca leaves that is used medically especially in the form of its hydrochloride C17H21NO4·HCl as a topical anesthetic and illicitly for its euphoric effects and that may result in a compulsive psychological need
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