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cocaine

American  
[koh-keyn, koh-keyn] / koʊˈkeɪn, ˈkoʊ keɪn /

noun

Pharmacology.

  1. a bitter, crystalline alkaloid, C 17 H 21 NO 4 , obtained from coca leaves, used as a local anesthetic and also widely used as an illicit drug for its stimulant and euphorigenic properties.

cocaine British  
/ kəˈkeɪn /

noun

  1. an addictive narcotic drug derived from coca leaves or synthesized, used medicinally as a topical anaesthetic. Formula: C 17 H 21 NO 4

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
cocaine Scientific  
/ kō-kān′ /

  1. A colorless or white crystalline alkaloid extracted from coca leaves. Cocaine is sometimes used in medicine as a local anesthetic, especially for the eyes, nose, or throat. It is also widely used as an illicit drug for its euphoric and stimulating effects. Chemical formula: C 17 H 21 NO 4 .

cocaine Cultural  

  1. A drug derived from the leaves of a shrub in South America that has an intoxicating effect on the body and can result in dependency if frequently used. Cocaine is used medically as a local anesthetic.

Discover More

Cocaine use constitutes a major drug problem in the United States.

Etymology

Origin of cocaine

First recorded in 1870–75; coca + -ine 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Colombia's anti -narcotics strategy targets those at the top of the cocaine trade, not the dirt-poor farmers at the bottom.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

Petro told Trump that his government is making record seizures of cocaine and that Colombia has long stood alongside the U.S. to fight traffickers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

Seizures of fentanyl at the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen in recent years, while seizures of cocaine have risen.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday said the United States bombed a suspected cocaine factory in the port city of Maracaibo, Venezuela.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

In fact, scientists who study both the brains of new lovers and cocaine addicts are hard-pressed to tell the difference.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.