Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

cocaine

 - 7 dictionary results

co⋅caine

[koh-keyn, koh-keyn]
–noun Pharmacology.
a bitter, crystalline alkaloid, C17H21NO4, obtained from coca leaves, used as a local anesthetic and also widely used as an illicit drug for its stimulant and euphorigenic properties.

Origin:
1870–75; coca + -ine 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To cocaine
co·caine   (kō-kān', kō'kān')   
n.  A colorless or white crystalline alkaloid, C17H21NO4, extracted from coca leaves, sometimes used in medicine as a local anesthetic especially for the eyes, nose, or throat and widely used as an illicit drug for its euphoric and stimulating effects.

[French cocaïne, from coca, coca, from Spanish; see coca.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

cocaine

A drug derived from the leaves of a shrub in South America that has an intoxicating effect on the body and can result in dependency if frequently used. Cocaine is used medically as a local anesthetic.

Note: Cocaine use constitutes a major drug problem in the United States.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

cocaine 
1874, from Fr. cocaine (1856), coined by Albert Niemann of Gottingen University from coca (from Quechua cuca) + -ine, arbitrary use of L. -inus, -ina for noun ending. A medical coinage, the drug was used 1870s as a local anaesthetic for eye surgery, etc.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: co·caine
Pronunciation: kO-'kAn, 'kO-"
Function: noun
: a bitter crystalline alkaloid C17H21NO4 obtainedfrom coca leaves that is used medically especially in the form of its hydrochloride as a topical anesthetic and illicitly for its euphoric effects and that may result in a compulsive psychological need
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

cocaine co·caine (kō-kān', kō'kān')
n.
A colorless or white crystalline alkaloid extracted from coca leaves, sometimes used as a local anesthetic especially for the eyes, nose, or throat and widely used as an illicit drug for its euphoric and stimulating effects.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
cocaine   (kō-kān')  Pronunciation Key 
A colorless or white crystalline alkaloid extracted from coca leaves. Cocaine is sometimes used in medicine as a local anesthetic, especially for the eyes, nose, or throat. It is also widely used as an illicit drug for its euphoric and stimulating effects. Chemical formula: C17H21NO4.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see cocaine on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: