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
Synonyms
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 WebStephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Modern media meant to celebrate women’s friendships tends to characterize gal pals as bonding over cocktails and sharing late-night confessionals, but most actual human beings do not behave in such tidy and agreeable ways.
—Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2024
In Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut, Naomi Ackie stars as Frida, a cocktail waitress who travels with a tech mogul named Slater King (Channing Tatum) to his private island.
—Ben Rosenstock, TIME, 21 May 2024
One intrepid blogger in 2011 banged his head against this cocktail for an incredible 17 posts across an entire calendar month.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 18 May 2024
There’s also a cocktail menu and Latin and lounge music, with live DJs on select dates.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 14 May 2024
The drinks menu is another draw in itself, with a bevy of fruity and classic cocktails.
—Claudia Fisher, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024
There's a full bar menu of beer, wines by the glass and bottle and cocktails.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 May 2024
Its mimosa, Motor Bike, Paloma and Bloody Mary cocktails have been joined by a tiramisu espresso martini, and an ube cold foam matcha drink is now available among the non-alcoholic brunch drinks menu.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2024
Noun
Owners Sam Trude and Sam Cooper, who are behind sibling concept Great White, also retooled the beverage menu, which now involves sake, beer and cocktails such as lychee martinis and a tiki-leaning banana-and-yuzu concoction.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Modern media meant to celebrate women’s friendships tends to characterize gal pals as bonding over cocktails and sharing late-night confessionals, but most actual human beings do not behave in such tidy and agreeable ways.
—Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2024
In Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut, Naomi Ackie stars as Frida, a cocktail waitress who travels with a tech mogul named Slater King (Channing Tatum) to his private island.
—Ben Rosenstock, TIME, 21 May 2024
One intrepid blogger in 2011 banged his head against this cocktail for an incredible 17 posts across an entire calendar month.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 18 May 2024
There’s also a cocktail menu and Latin and lounge music, with live DJs on select dates.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 14 May 2024
The drinks menu is another draw in itself, with a bevy of fruity and classic cocktails.
—Claudia Fisher, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024
There's a full bar menu of beer, wines by the glass and bottle and cocktails.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 May 2024
Its mimosa, Motor Bike, Paloma and Bloody Mary cocktails have been joined by a tiramisu espresso martini, and an ube cold foam matcha drink is now available among the non-alcoholic brunch drinks menu.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cocktail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Cocktail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocktail. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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
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