coca

¹ American  

[koh-kuh] / ˈkoʊ kə /

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.

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Coca ² American  

[koh-kuh] / ˈkoʊ kə /

noun

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

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coca British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of coca

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

Example Sentences

Colombia will also restart fumigation to destroy coca crops, a practice halted since 2015 and strongly opposed by Petro as a senator.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

And Jose Abril, a farmer who has grown coca but fled amid the violence, said the state failed to make the sustained investments to persuade farmers to switch crops.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Some have even said the water looks like "coca cola".

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2025

In Bolivia, bundles of coca leaves are gifted at weddings, negotiations and as offerings to the Earth goddess Pachamama.

From Salon • Mar. 9, 2025

Current goals include   attracting foreign investment, strengthening the educational system,   resolving disputes with coca growers over Bolivia's counterdrug   efforts, and waging an anticorruption campaign.

From The 2005 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency