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, 14 May 2026
In an arrest affidavit, the Metro Nashville Police Department reported Eatherly ordered two entrees, cocktails and appetizers totaling $371.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Each one includes its own outdoor deck space and backyard, perfect for a morning coffee or afternoon cocktail.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 14 May 2026
The rest of them got seats at the state dinner and mingled over cocktails at the exclusive Capital Club in Beijing.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cocktail
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Noun
Save the wine for dinner and ask about the drink of the day to make the most of the talented bartenders who delight in inventing new cocktails.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 May 2026
In an arrest affidavit, the Metro Nashville Police Department reported Eatherly ordered two entrees, cocktails and appetizers totaling $371.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Each one includes its own outdoor deck space and backyard, perfect for a morning coffee or afternoon cocktail.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 14 May 2026
The rest of them got seats at the state dinner and mingled over cocktails at the exclusive Capital Club in Beijing.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 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 15 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
