concoct

[kon-kokt, kuhn-]

verb (used with object)

1. to prepare or make by combining ingredients, especially in cooking.

   We concocted a meal from leftovers since no one had time to stop at the store.

2. to devise; make up; contrive.

   He'll have to concoct an excuse for his absence if he wants to keep the job.

   Synonyms: hatch, fabricate, invent

concoct

/ kənˈkɒkt /

verb

1. to make by combining different ingredients

2. to invent; make up; contrive

Other Word Forms

• concoctive adjective
• concocter noun
• concoctor noun
• well-concocted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of concoct¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin concoctus (past participle of concoquere “to cook together”), equivalent to con- con- + coc-, variant stem of coquere “to boil, cook ¹ ” from Greek péptein; pepsin, peptic ) + -tus past participle ending

Word History and Origins

Origin of concoct¹

C16: from Latin concoctus cooked together, from concoquere, from coquere to cook

Example Sentences

Sanberg had begun falsifying financial documents and concocting phony customers in a scheme he would later admit defrauded investors of more than $248 million.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Asset managers and financial advisers have concocted a zillion ways to disguise their fees.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In other words, it’s a love story only this pair could concoct.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I’m not saying this to brag, but rather, to affirm the shrewd experiment that series creator James Gunn concocted within this second season.

Read more on Salon

A historic run of releases came in the following decade, with “His ‘n’ Hers,” “Different Class” and “This Is Hardcore” all concocted in a period of four years.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• contrive 
• create 
• devise 
• discover 
• dream up 
• envision 
• fabricate 
• hatch 
• invent