cocktail

noun (1)

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cock·tail | \ ˈkäk-ˌtāl

Definition of cocktail

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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 a 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

cocktail

adjective

Definition of cocktail (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : of, relating to, or set aside for cocktails a cocktail hour

2 : designed for semiformal wear a cocktail dress

cocktail

noun (2)

Definition of cocktail (Entry 3 of 3)

: a horse with its tail docked

Synonyms Phrases Containing cocktail Learn More About cocktail

First Known Use of cocktail

Noun (1)

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1781, in the meaning defined above

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Dictionary Entries Near cocktail

cockswain

cocktail

cocktail cabinet

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Cite this Entry

“Cocktail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocktail. Accessed 18 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for cocktail

cocktail

noun

cock·tail | \ ˈkäk-ˌtāl

Medical Definition of cocktail

: 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 chemotherapy cocktails to treat cancer— J. L. Swerdlow