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cock·tail

(kŏktāl′)

1. Any of various mixed alcoholic drinks consisting usually of brandy, whiskey, vodka, or gin combined with fruit juices or other liquors and often served chilled.

2. An appetizer made by combining pieces of food, such as fruit or seafood: fruit cocktail; shrimp cocktail.

3. Medicine

a. A mixture of drugs, usually in solution, administered together or sequentially.

b. A medical regimen that includes a combination of several drugs, so that their combined effect is more potent than that of any of the drugs used individually.

adj.

Of or relating to cocktails: a cocktail glass; a cocktail party.

[Origin unknown.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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