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noun Common

cocaine

kuh-KAYN

Cocaine (noun) means a powerful, addictive stimulant drug extracted from the coca plant, used illegally as a recreational drug and occasionally in medicine as a local anaesthetic. Example: “Cocaine use can cause a dangerously fast heart rate.”

noun
1
A powerful, addictive stimulant drug extracted from the coca plant, used illegally as a recreational drug and occasionally in medicine as a local anaesthetic.
"Cocaine use can cause a dangerously fast heart rate."
"Doctors once used cocaine as a surgical anaesthetic before safer alternatives were developed."

How to use cocaine

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn illegal stimulant drug made from coca leaves.

Common pairings
cocaine addiction a line of cocaine cocaine use

Word forms

cocained past tense, cocaines plural, cocaines singular

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_____ use can cause a dangerously fast heart rate.

Etymology

Formed from "coca" plus the chemical suffix "-ine"; first used in this sense around 1874.

· First attested 1874

Class of 1874 cocaine joined the language around 1874.
See the full Class of 1874 →
benzoylmethylecgonine blow Bolivian marching powder booger sugar boots California corn flakes charlie ching coke corinne crystals flake

Related words

Rhymes for cocaine

See all rhymes for cocaine →

Frequently asked questions

What does “cocaine” mean?

The word “cocaine” means a powerful, addictive stimulant drug extracted from the coca plant, used illegally as a recreational drug and occasionally in medicine as a local anaesthetic. In plain terms, an illegal stimulant drug made from coca leaves.

How do you pronounce “cocaine”?

“Cocaine” is pronounced kuh-KAYN (/koʊˈkeɪn/ in IPA).

How do you use “cocaine” in a sentence?

Here is “cocaine” used in a sentence: “Cocaine use can cause a dangerously fast heart rate.”

What is another word for “cocaine”?

Words with a similar meaning to “cocaine” include benzoylmethylecgonine, blow, Bolivian marching powder, booger sugar, boots and California corn flakes.

What part of speech is “cocaine”?

“Cocaine” is a noun.

Where does the word “cocaine” come from?

The word “cocaine” dates back to around 1874. Formed from "coca" plus the chemical suffix "-ine"; first used in this sense around 1874.

Is “cocaine” a common word?

“Cocaine” is a fairly common word in modern English.

What is the difference between cocaine and crack?

Cocaine is a powerful, addictive stimulant drug extracted from the coca plant, usually encountered as a powder. Crack is a hardened, smokable form processed from powdered cocaine, and smoking it delivers the drug's effects more rapidly and intensely.

Is cocaine ever used legally in medicine?

Yes, in very limited settings. Cocaine is occasionally used in medicine as a local anaesthetic, for example in certain ear, nose, and throat procedures, but recreational possession and use remain illegal in most countries.

What is the difference between coca and cocoa?

Coca is the South American plant from whose leaves cocaine is extracted. Cocoa is the powder made from cacao beans and is the basis of chocolate; despite their similar spellings, the two words refer to entirely different plants.

Is coke a formal word for cocaine?

No. Coke, along with blow and charlie, is informal slang for cocaine and belongs to casual speech. Medical, legal, and news writing uses the standard term cocaine.

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