Nearby Words
noun
1.
any of various short mixed drinks, consisting typically of gin, whiskey, rum, vodka, or brandy, with different admixtures, as vermouth, fruit juices, or flavorings, usually chilled and frequently sweetened.
2.
a portion of food, as seafood served with a sauce, a mixture of fruits, or juice, served as the appetizer course of a meal.
3.
Pharmacology. a beverage or solution concocted of various drugs.
4.
any eclectic mixture or miscellaneous collection.
verb (used without object)
5.
to drink cocktails, especially at a cocktail party: They cocktailed before going to the theater.
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Cocktail
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
| to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly. |
adjective
6.
(of women's clothing) styled for semiformal wear: a cocktail dress.
7.
of, pertaining to, used in, or suitable to the serving of cocktails: cocktail onions; cocktail napkins.
Origin:
1800–10, Americanism; origin obscure; none of numerous attempts to explain the orig. of this word or its relationship to cocktail2 have won general acceptance
1800–10, Americanism; origin obscure; none of numerous attempts to explain the orig. of this word or its relationship to cocktail2 have won general acceptance
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To Cocktail
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
cocktail
first attested 1806; H.L. Mencken lists seven versions of its origin, perhaps the most persuasive is Fr. coquetier "egg-cup." In New Orleans, c.1795, Antoine Amédée Peychaud, an apothecary (and inventor of Peychaud bitters) held Masonic social gatherings at his pharmacy, where he mixed
EXPAND brandy toddies with his own bitters and served them in an egg-cup. The drink took the name of the cup, in Eng. cocktay. Cocktail party first attested 1928.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
cocktail cock·tail (kŏk'tāl)
n.
A mixture of drugs, usually in solution, for the diagnosis or treatment of a condition.
A treatment regimen that includes a combination of several drugs, to enhance their individual potency.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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