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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 May 2026
The event featured a cocktail reception with live jazz and dance performances, an awards ceremony honoring community and arts leaders, food, prominent Liberty Station artists and more.
—Point Loma-Ob Monthly, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Most of the world’s top-selling cocktails, like a Negroni, Martini, or Old Fashioned, are often 20%–30% Alcohol by Volume (ABV) or more.
—Justin Kissinger, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Sports fans, theater lovers, and nightlife seekers can weave effortlessly through Daikin Park, Alley Theatre, and the Houston Symphony, with local bars like Angel Share offering creative cocktails and a friendly vibe.
—Carrie Honaker, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cocktail
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Noun
The lobby’s Living Room bar and the rooftop bar Wet Deck have separate menus, and each inventive cocktail has its own nonalcoholic counterpart.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 May 2026
The event featured a cocktail reception with live jazz and dance performances, an awards ceremony honoring community and arts leaders, food, prominent Liberty Station artists and more.
—Point Loma-Ob Monthly, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Most of the world’s top-selling cocktails, like a Negroni, Martini, or Old Fashioned, are often 20%–30% Alcohol by Volume (ABV) or more.
—Justin Kissinger, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Sports fans, theater lovers, and nightlife seekers can weave effortlessly through Daikin Park, Alley Theatre, and the Houston Symphony, with local bars like Angel Share offering creative cocktails and a friendly vibe.
—Carrie Honaker, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 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 4 May. 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
