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 of cocktail

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

Beverage director Audrey Dowling will focus on international small-production wines and a rotating list of three classic cocktails. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026

Once finished, the new lounges will include 50 percent more space along with perks like live cooking demonstrations, signature cocktails, and more. —Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026

Food and beverage offerings will be available for purchase from Badas Burgers, with craft beer and cocktails served by BNS Brewing and Distilling. —Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026

Vergara added several inches to her stature with towering silver sandal platform heels with ankle straps, and added some extra sparkle with a large diamond cocktail ring and dangling statement diamond earrings. —Lara Walsh, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026

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