# cocktail

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɒk.teɪl/ · frequency rank #8,398

## Definitions
1. A mixed alcoholic beverage.
2. A mixture of other substances or things.
3. A horse, not of pure breed, but having only one eighth or one sixteenth impure blood in its veins.
4. A mean, half-hearted fellow.
5. A species of rove beetle, so called from its habit of elevating the tail.

## Etymology
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.

## Common misspellings (12)
`ccocktail`, `ccoktail`, `coccktail`, `cockatil`, `cockktail`, `cocktaill`, `cocktali`, `cocktial`, `cockttail`, `coctkail`, `cokctail`, `occktail`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cocktail