coke

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈkōk 

: the residue of coal left after destructive distillation and used as fuel

also : a similar residue left by other materials (such as petroleum) distilled to dryness

coke

2 of 5

verb

coked; coking

transitive verb

: to change into coke

intransitive verb

: to become coke or like coke

coke

3 of 5

noun (2)

: cocaine

Coke

4 of 5

trademark

ˈkōk 

—used for a cola drink

coked-up

5 of 5

adjective

¦kōkt-ˈəp 

variants or less commonly coked

¦kōkt 

informal

: high on cocaine

Depending on whom you listen to, he was either too lazy, too broke or too coked-up to go out on assignment …

—Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 2 June 2003

Two men, two friends, enter a place of business, both—to use the vernacular—coked to the gills.

—Lucius Shepard, Playboy, September 1986

Examples of coke in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Prosecutors contended that Jay recruited Jordan and Washington to sell coke for him in Baltimore, but the deal went sour when the rapper’s drug connection had bad blood with Washington and threatened to kill him. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026

Some community members and advocacy groups hoped air quality would improve after the coke plant was sold. — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026

Verb

The explosion also triggered a wave of heightened safety inspections across China’s coal sector, tightening the supply outlook for coking coal and sending prices soaring Monday, according to Reuters. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026

Anglo American is the world’s third-largest exporter of coking coal, supplying customers across Asia, Europe, and South America. — Yessar Rosendar, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps from dialect coke, colk core, from Middle English; akin to Swedish kälk pith

Noun (2)

by shortening & alteration

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1669, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1804, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

1898, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1924, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for coke

• bloke
• boeck
• broke
• choke
• cloak
• cloke
• croak
• folk
• hoke
• joke
• moke
• oak

Kids Definition

coke

1 of 3 noun

ˈkōk 

: gray lumps of fuel with pores made by heating soft coal in a closed chamber until some of its gases have passed off

coke

2 of 3 noun

: cocaine

Coke

3 of 3 trademark

ˈkōk 

—used for a cola drink

Biographical Definition

Coke

biographical name

ˈku̇k  ˈkōk 

Sir Edward 1552–1634 Lord Coke English jurist