cocaine

noun

co·​caine kō-ˈkān How to pronounce cocaine (audio)
ˈkō-ˌkān
: a bitter crystalline alkaloid C17H21NO4 obtained from coca leaves that is used especially in the form of its hydrochloride medically as a topical anesthetic and illicitly for its euphoric effects and that may result in a compulsive psychological need

Examples of cocaine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
He is held without bond and faces one count of felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, one count of possession of cocaine and one count of trespassing in an operational area of an airport, Teri Barbera, a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, said late Tuesday. Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025 Elsewhere in the state, the Walton County Sheriff's Office announced on X in late June that a beachgoer found nearly $500,000 of cocaine washed up on a local beach. Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 3 Aug. 2025 Florida Keys deputies roped ashore about 50 pounds of cocaine that was turned in by an eagle-eyed good Samaritan, authorities say. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025 The skeleton of biochemist Enrique Berríos – a dandy, charmer, bar-room singer and re-developer of the Nazi serin gas and black cocaine cook for Augusto Pinochet’s DINA secret police – is found washed up on a beach in Uruguay. John Hopewell, Variety, 29 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for cocaine

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cocaine was in 1860

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Cite this Entry

“Cocaine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocaine. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

cocaine

noun
co·​caine kō-ˈkān How to pronounce cocaine (audio)
ˈkō-ˌkān
: a bitter habit-forming drug obtained from coca leaves and used in medicine to deaden pain and illegally for its euphoric effects

Medical Definition

cocaine

noun
co·​caine kō-ˈkān, ˈkō-ˌ How to pronounce cocaine (audio)
: a bitter crystalline alkaloid C17H21NO4 obtained from coca leaves that is used medically especially in the form of its hydrochloride C17H21NO4·HCl as a topical anesthetic and illicitly for its euphoric effects and that may result in a compulsive psychological need

More from Merriam-Webster on cocaine

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