coca

¹

[ koh-kuh ]

noun

1. a shrub, Erythroxylon coca, native to the Andes, having simple, alternate leaves and small yellowish flowers.
2. the dried leaves of this shrub, which are chewed for their stimulant properties and which yield cocaine and other alkaloids.

Coca

²

[ koh-kuh ]

noun

1. Imogene, 1908–2001, U.S. comic actress.

coca

/ ˈkəʊkə /

noun

1. either of two shrubs, Erythroxylon coca or E. truxiuense, native to the Andes: family Erythroxylaceae
2. the dried leaves of these shrubs and related plants, which contain cocaine and are chewed by the peoples of the Andes for their stimulating effects

Word History and Origins

Origin of coca¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Spanish, from Quechua kuka

Word History and Origins

Origin of coca¹

C17: from Spanish, from Quechuan kúka

Example Sentences

The establishment of coca plantations in the 1980s and 90s has fragmented the Yungas region.

From Popular-Science

The government would buy all coca leaves and give them to Indigenous communities to produce food, medicine and fertilizers.

From Ozy

As drug traffickers, rebel groups and the government take turns locking horns or negotiating peace pacts, farmers in the hard-to-access Guayabero region often rely on coca paste … as a currency.

From Ozy

At nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, it’s certainly a consideration, but don’t despair — that’s what coca leaves are for.

From Ozy

Other demands voiced by protesters include the outlawing of fracking, acting on rampant police brutality, and putting an end to the spraying of chemicals on coca plants across the country, which are harmful to humans and the environment.

From The Daily Beast

Coca-Cola was a wildly popular drink and hangover remedy because, well, it contained cocaine.

From The Daily Beast

And, with Coca-Cola announcing the launch of a new milk product, the beverage could be back in our hands before we know it.

From The Daily Beast

Coca leaf, on the other hand, was criminalized after the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 (PDF), says Huertas.

From The Daily Beast

Cocaine comes from the coca plant, which grows in the Andes and is considered sacred.

From The Daily Beast

In the 1950s, Caesar and Your Show of Shows, his television show with Imogene Coca, were household names.

From The Daily Beast

Its name, signifying coca-field, or plantation, denotes that coca must formerly have been cultivated here.

From Project Gutenberg

The principal active constituent of coca-leaves was discovered about 1860 by Niemann, and called by him cocaine.

From Project Gutenberg

But heat does not suffice; great humidity is also necessary to Coca.

From Project Gutenberg

Gazeau advises the use of Coca for inflammations of the mouth and gums.

From Project Gutenberg

The dry coca is finely packed in woollen sacks, and covered with sand.

From Project Gutenberg