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
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
Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
But unlike those two companies, Motorola’s phones feature a cocktail of AI models and services from several different providers.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2025
Florida man offers cops a cocktail during car chase
Body camera footage released by a Highlands County Sheriff’s Office shows the suspect offering authorities a drink before he was Tased and arrested.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Definitely check out the Manhattan Finish expression, part of the Reserve Series, which was finished in vermouth, bitters, and cherry brandy barrels before being blended together to evoke a classic Manhattan cocktail.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cocktail
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Noun
Verde Amaro, a signature cocktail by bartender Angelo di Giorgi, uses artichoke liqueur for a bittersweet, distinctly Italian kick, layered with Branca Menta and lime for a fresh, surprising profile.
—Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
But unlike those two companies, Motorola’s phones feature a cocktail of AI models and services from several different providers.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2025
Florida man offers cops a cocktail during car chase
Body camera footage released by a Highlands County Sheriff’s Office shows the suspect offering authorities a drink before he was Tased and arrested.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Definitely check out the Manhattan Finish expression, part of the Reserve Series, which was finished in vermouth, bitters, and cherry brandy barrels before being blended together to evoke a classic Manhattan cocktail.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cocktail
Cite this Entry
“Cocktail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocktail. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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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