cocktail
/ˈkɑk.teɪl/noun, verb
cocktail is spelled C-O-C-K-T-A-I-L: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 7.8 times per million words in written English, the 8,417th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, cocktail means “A mixed alcoholic beverage” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of cocktail is cocktails.
How many letters and syllables are in cocktail?
| Letters | 8: C-O-C-K-T-A-I-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 7.8 times per million words; the 8,417th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is cocktail?
Cocktail appears 7.8 times per million words in written English, the 8,417th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce cocktail?
- UK /ˈkɒk.teɪl/
- US /ˈkɑk.teɪl/
- Australia /ˈkɔk.tæɪl/
Cocktail has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-cocktail.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with cocktail?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as cocktail from its last stressed vowel (/ɑkteɪl/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of cocktail
- cocktails plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- ckt
- more cocktail comparative
- most cocktail superlative
- cocktailing participle, present
- cocktailed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does cocktail mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A mixed alcoholic beverage.
They visited a bar noted for its wide range of cocktails.
- 2
A mixture of other substances or things.
Scientists found a cocktail of pollutants in the river downstream from the chemical factory.
- 3
A horse, not of pure breed, but having only one eighth or one sixteenth impure blood in its veins.
- 4
UKdatedslangA mean, half-hearted fellow.
- 5
A species of rove beetle, so called from its habit of elevating the tail.
verb
- 1
To adulterate (fuel, etc.) by mixing in other substances.
- 2
To treat (a person) to cocktails.
He dined and cocktailed her at the most exclusive bars and restaurants.
adjective
- 1
obsoleteOstentatiously lacking in manners.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate cocktail?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of cocktail: ckt.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Cocktail in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense alcoholic beverage:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does cocktail come from?
Early 17th century, from cock (“male bird”) + tail, in the sense “(a horse with its) tail standing up, like a cock’s”. The origin of the extension to “an alcoholic mixed drink” is unknown. One theory is that it refers to a stimulant (gingering), hence a stimulating drink; compare pick-me-up. Another attested use is for non-thoroughbred racehorses: these were considered "cock-tailed" due to their docked tails. This may have led to the term "cocktail" (sense 1) being used for an adulterated spirit.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).