cocktail
The origin and history of cocktail.
Etymology
From the early 1600s, originally describing a horse with a "cocked" (upright) tail, like a rooster's; how the word came to mean a mixed drink is still debated, though one theory links it to stimulating "gingered up" drinks.
Class of 1600
cocktail first entered the language around 1600. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1600 →