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 Web
Megan Zhang, Saveur, 13 Nov. 2024
Ashley Darby giving Karen Uber gift cards and Gizelle naming a non-alcoholic cocktail the Grande Dame don’t provoke the same audience response as Tamra berating Shannon for the 19th time.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
Both versions delivered a skillful cocktail of laughs and scares without true paranormal activity.
—Anupama Chopra, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
Amaretto adds a subtle sweetness, balancing the bitter edge of coffee, making this an ideal cocktail to sip while the numbers come in.
—Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cocktail 
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Noun
Add the honey to granola for a tantalizing edge, and use the syrup to brush atop cakes or amp up a cocktail.
—Megan Zhang, Saveur, 13 Nov. 2024
Ashley Darby giving Karen Uber gift cards and Gizelle naming a non-alcoholic cocktail the Grande Dame don’t provoke the same audience response as Tamra berating Shannon for the 19th time.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
Both versions delivered a skillful cocktail of laughs and scares without true paranormal activity.
—Anupama Chopra, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
Amaretto adds a subtle sweetness, balancing the bitter edge of coffee, making this an ideal cocktail to sip while the numbers come in.
—Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cocktail
Articles Related to cocktail
Dictionary Entries Near cocktail
Cite this Entry
“Cocktail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocktail. Accessed 24 Nov. 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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