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
Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
The Champeta cocktail is a classic from San Juan, Puerto Rico's La Factoria, one of North America's 50 best bars.
—Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 7 Feb. 2026
But in some ways, the real fun was outside, where people could play carnival games, dunk baskets, go on rides, sip on specialty cocktails or load up on burgers and fries from The Habit.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
Pitcher cocktails are easy to make and serve.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cocktail
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Noun
Nightlife Penny Drip A daytime coffee shop that transitions into a cocktail bar in the evening, Penny Drip provides a casual atmosphere for drinks.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
The Champeta cocktail is a classic from San Juan, Puerto Rico's La Factoria, one of North America's 50 best bars.
—Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 7 Feb. 2026
But in some ways, the real fun was outside, where people could play carnival games, dunk baskets, go on rides, sip on specialty cocktails or load up on burgers and fries from The Habit.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
Pitcher cocktails are easy to make and serve.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 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 9 Feb. 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
