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

Noun (1)

• admixture
• alloy
• amalgam
• amalgamation
• blend
• combination
• composite
• compound
• conflation
• emulsion
• fusion
• intermixture
• meld
• mix
• mixture
• 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

And rightly so—this deceptively simple cocktail is a masterclass in balance. —Emily Price, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025

The addition of Peacock Alley, the brand’s signature bar and meeting place, and the debut of Hard Shake, a lounge experience where craft cocktails are enjoyed with long views and direct sightlines down the Las Vegas Strip, mark the completion of another major phase of a property-wide redesign. —Ryan Slattery, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2025

Spring is in the air and so are colorful cocktails at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa’s second annual Garden Party. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025

Mini cocktails are also available for that kick back to work. —Bar One Lounge , Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2025

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