What does "cocktail" mean?
A mixed alcoholic beverage.
Cocktail
/ˈkɒk.teɪl/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A mixed alcoholic beverage.
- Grammar: cocktail is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: alcoholic beverage, alto-cumulus, alto-stratus, anvil cloud.
- Useful contrasts: homogeneous, isolation, monotherapy.
- Usage evidence: A Cuba Libre is a cocktail with a rum base.
How to use "cocktail"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cocktail" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cocktail" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cocktail" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cocktail" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cocktail" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "alcoholic beverage" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cocktail", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A mixed alcoholic beverage.
"They visited a bar noted for its wide range of cocktails."
- 2 an appetizer served as a first course at a meal wordnet
- 3 A mixture of other substances or things. broadly
"Scientists found a cocktail of pollutants in the river downstream from the chemical factory."
- 4 a short mixed drink wordnet
- 5 A horse, not of pure breed, but having only one eighth or one sixteenth impure blood in its veins.
"A “cock-tail” is a horse not purely bred, but with only one-eighth or one-sixteenth impure blood in his veins"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A mean, half-hearted fellow. UK, dated, slang
"It was in the second affair that poor little Barney showed he was a cocktail."
- 7 A species of rove beetle, so called from its habit of elevating the tail.
Verb
- 1 To adulterate (fuel, etc.) by mixing in other substances. transitive
- 2 To treat (a person) to cocktails. transitive
"He dined and cocktailed her at the most exclusive bars and restaurants."
Adjective
- 1 Ostentatiously lacking in manners. obsolete
"It looks very cocktail to be seen riding through the streets of London in a scarlet coat ;"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"A Cuba Libre is a cocktail with a rum base."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cocktail"?
Common synonyms include: alcoholic beverage, alto-cumulus, alto-stratus, anvil cloud, aperitif, banner cloud.
How do you use "cocktail" in a sentence?
A Cuba Libre is a cocktail with a rum base.
How do you pronounce "cocktail"?
Pronounced /ˈkɒk.teɪl/.
Etymology
Early 17th century, from cock (“male bird”) + tail, in the sense “(a horse with its) tail standing up, like a cock’s”. The origin of the extension to “an alcoholic mixed drink” is unknown. One theory is that it refers to a stimulant (gingering), hence a stimulating drink; compare pick-me-up. Another attested use is for non-thoroughbred racehorses: these were considered "cock-tailed" due to their docked tails. This may have led to the term "cocktail" (sense 1) being used for an adulterated spirit.