: 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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Manned semisubmersibles built in clandestine jungle shipyards have been used for decades to ferry cocaine north from Colombia, the world's biggest cocaine producer, to Central America or Mexico.
—
CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
Law enforcement officials alleged Wedding, who competed for Team Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics, was the ringleader of a transnational drug trafficking operation that shipped approximately 60 tons of cocaine a year from Colombia through Mexico, California, and Canada.
—Forbestv, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Wedding was believed to have been hiding in Mexico for more than a decade, after previously being convicted in the United States for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
Koren testified, on the basis of these spurious tests, that a toddler must have been ingesting substantial quantities of cocaine for about fourteen months.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
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CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
Law enforcement officials alleged Wedding, who competed for Team Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics, was the ringleader of a transnational drug trafficking operation that shipped approximately 60 tons of cocaine a year from Colombia through Mexico, California, and Canada.
—Forbestv, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Wedding was believed to have been hiding in Mexico for more than a decade, after previously being convicted in the United States for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
Koren testified, on the basis of these spurious tests, that a toddler must have been ingesting substantial quantities of cocaine for about fourteen months.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 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 31 Jan. 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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