1
a
: a usually iced drink of wine or distilled liquor mixed with flavoring ingredients
b
: something resembling or suggesting such a drink as being a mixture of often diverse elements or ingredients
… a cocktail of remembered incidents and pure imagination …—
Charlotte Low
Charlotte Lowa cocktail of herbicides
c
: a mixture of agents usually in solution that is taken or used especially for medical treatment or diagnosis
2
: an appetizer served as a first course at a meal
1
: of, relating to, or set aside for cocktails
a cocktail hour
2
: designed for semiformal wear
a cocktail dress
: a horse with its tail docked
Examples of cocktail in a Sentence
Noun (1)
an autopsy found a lethal cocktail of banned substances in the actor's body
Recent Examples on the Web
Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2026
Enter the Darling Clementine, a tart, fizzy, deliciously pink alternative to classic morning cocktails.
—Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 20 June 2026
Amid canvas tents and retro campers, the large dining room serves craft cocktails and juicy steaks sourced from the Malarkey family ranch.
—Sierra Vandervort, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2026
Although mezcal has been embraced by the drinking public much more since the Cobra Clutch was invented more than a decade ago, this cocktail isn’t improved by getting rid of the tequila in favor of its smokier cousin.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cocktail
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Noun
The move two blocks east to Sixth Avenue took Beren from a casual takeout grill to a full-service restaurant with craft cocktails.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2026
Enter the Darling Clementine, a tart, fizzy, deliciously pink alternative to classic morning cocktails.
—Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 20 June 2026
Amid canvas tents and retro campers, the large dining room serves craft cocktails and juicy steaks sourced from the Malarkey family ranch.
—Sierra Vandervort, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2026
Although mezcal has been embraced by the drinking public much more since the Cobra Clutch was invented more than a decade ago, this cocktail isn’t improved by getting rid of the tequila in favor of its smokier cousin.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cocktail
Cite this Entry
“Cocktail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocktail. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cocktail
noun
cock·tail
ˈkäk-ˌtāl 
: a mixture of agents usually in solution that is taken or used especially for medical treatment or diagnosis
a potent cocktail of antiretroviral drugs—Zia Jaffrey
Zia Jaffreychemotherapy cocktails to treat cancer—J. L. Swerdlow
J. L. SwerdlowLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
