# cocktail

Pronunciation: say "KOK-tayl" US /ˈkɑk.teɪl/, UK /ˈkɒk.teɪl/, AUS /ˈkɔk.tæɪl/

## Noun

1. An alcoholic drink made by combining spirits with juices, flavorings, or other beverages.
   - Simple: A drink made by mixing alcohol with juices or other flavors.
   - _The bartender shook a cocktail of gin, lime, and bitters._
   - _Guests sipped cocktails on the terrace before dinner._
2. A mixture or combination of various different substances or things.
   - Simple: A mix of several different things combined into one.
   - _Doctors prescribed a cocktail of antiviral medications._
   - _Stress and poor sleep formed a dangerous cocktail for his health._
5. A rove beetle, named for its habit of raising its tail end.
   - Simple: A small beetle that lifts up the tip of its tail.
   - _The gardener spotted a cocktail darting across the compost heap._
   - _Several cocktails emerged when she lifted the decaying bark._
6. A horse that is not fully purebred, carrying only an eighth or a sixteenth part of impure blood.
   - Simple: A horse that is mostly purebred but carries a small amount of mixed blood.
   - _The trainer favored the cocktail for its stamina over short distances._
   - _Breeders rarely paid top prices for cocktails at the country fairs._

## Verb

3. To adulterate a fuel or similar product by mixing in other substances.
   - Simple: To make a fuel or product weaker by mixing in cheaper substances.
   - _Dishonest traders cocktail the fuel with solvents before selling it._
   - _Inspectors found that the supplier had cocktailed the kerosene with cheaper oils._
4. To entertain a person by treating them to cocktails.
   - Simple: To buy someone cocktails or take them out for mixed drinks.
   - _I always cocktail my guests before the evening event begins._
   - _She cocktailed the visiting dignitaries at the embassy reception._

## Noun

7. A mean-spirited, half-hearted man. *(dated, UK)*
   - Simple: A weak, mean person who never puts in real effort.

## Adjective

8. Showily rude; flaunting a deliberate lack of good manners. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Showing off rude, bad manners in a loud way.

## Origin

Recorded from the early 17th century, from "cock" (a male bird) plus "tail", originally describing a horse with its tail standing up like a cock's. How this extended to mean an alcoholic mixed drink is unknown; one theory links it to a stimulant or "pick-me-up" drink, while another connects it to "cock-tailed" non-thoroughbred racehorses with docked tails, possibly leading to the term being used for an adulterated spirit.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/cocktail (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).