cocaine

noun

co·​caine kō-ˈkān How to pronounce cocaine (audio)
ˈkō-ˌkān
: a bitter crystalline alkaloid C17H21NO4 obtained from coca leaves that is used especially in the form of its hydrochloride medically as a topical anesthetic and illicitly for its euphoric effects and that may result in a compulsive psychological need

Examples of cocaine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
She was previously arrested at JFK airport in New York in 2021 with 3 kgs of cocaine in her suitcase while traveling from the Dominican Republic. David Matthews, New York Daily News, 28 Jan. 2025 In 1993, he was dismissed from the force after he was accused of running a cocaine ring, according to The New York Times. Charna Flam, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025 While hip-hop artists were discovering Stone’s music in the ’80s (and presumably not paying the proper rates for the sampling rights), Stone was getting into crack cocaine, a habit that weighed him down for the whole decade. Damon Wise, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025 In April 2002, her mother files a wrongful-death lawsuit, accusing Warner of giving Syme cocaine and encouraging her to drive while inebriated. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for cocaine 

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cocaine was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near cocaine

Cite this Entry

“Cocaine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocaine. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

cocaine

noun
co·​caine kō-ˈkān How to pronounce cocaine (audio)
ˈkō-ˌkān
: a bitter habit-forming drug obtained from coca leaves and used in medicine to deaden pain and illegally for its euphoric effects

Medical Definition

cocaine

noun
co·​caine kō-ˈkān, ˈkō-ˌ How to pronounce cocaine (audio)
: a bitter crystalline alkaloid C17H21NO4 obtained from coca leaves that is used medically especially in the form of its hydrochloride C17H21NO4·HCl as a topical anesthetic and illicitly for its euphoric effects and that may result in a compulsive psychological need

More from Merriam-Webster on cocaine

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