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
Michael Collins, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
Inspired by her own three-year journey of sobriety, Redemption Bar will feature a zero-proof cocktail menu, with each taking its name from various song lyrics.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 1 Aug. 2025
Highball fascinates with its cozy, yet brooding ambience and complex, clean cocktails.
—Bahar Anooshahr, AZCentral.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The chefs of Water Street will prepare a six-course meal with a welcome cocktail and four wine pairings, a news release said.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cocktail
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Noun
Krishnan did have to make a few minor tweaks to his cocktail menu.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
Inspired by her own three-year journey of sobriety, Redemption Bar will feature a zero-proof cocktail menu, with each taking its name from various song lyrics.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 1 Aug. 2025
Highball fascinates with its cozy, yet brooding ambience and complex, clean cocktails.
—Bahar Anooshahr, AZCentral.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The chefs of Water Street will prepare a six-course meal with a welcome cocktail and four wine pairings, a news release said.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 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 6 Aug. 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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