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

“He then used those records to concoct fanciful allegations of mortgage fraud, which he referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But he now insists that the migrant surge was some devilish scheme concocted by the Maduro regime to flood America’s streets with Venezuelan drug dealers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There’s no way he could have known he was committing a crime, since prosecutors concocted the offense.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But that charge was barred by the statute of limitations, so the district attorney went to work concocting a felony, which has a longer statute of limitations.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court doesn’t so much interpret the law as concoct it, and voters will get an opportunity to respond on next week’s ballot.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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