cocktail

1 of 3

noun (1)

cock·​tail ˈkäk-ˌtāl 

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

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

2 of 3

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or set aside for cocktails

a cocktail hour

2

: designed for semiformal wear

a cocktail dress

cocktail

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a horse with its tail docked

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• mixture
• mix
• blend
• amalgam
• alloy
• amalgamation
• combination
• fusion
• synthesis

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

Noun

For several hundred dollars less, is its cocktail of acids (lactic, glycolic, salicylic) and fruit enzymes (pineapple and papaya) going to help keep your pores clear and your skin bright? —Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025

Was this planned over cocktails? —David Hochman, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Grab a cocktail and your friends and get ready to kiki all year long. —Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Sep. 2025

Ohana Beach Bar serves up tiki-style cocktails, and Laguna Beach offers bites, drinks, and even an inflatable obstacle course right in the water. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably from cock entry 1 + tail

Noun (2)

cock entry 1 + tail

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing cocktail

• Americano cocktail
• cocktail dress
• cocktail glass
• cocktail hour
• cocktail lounge
• cocktail party
• cocktail sauce
• cocktail table
• house cocktail
• Molotov cocktail
• Shirley Temple cocktail

Rhymes for cocktail

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email
• entail

Kids Definition

cocktail

noun

cock·​tail

ˈkäk-ˌtāl

1

: an iced drink of distilled liquor mixed with flavoring ingredients

2

: an appetizer (as tomato juice) served as a first course at a meal

Medical 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

chemotherapy cocktails to treat cancer

—J. L. Swerdlow