Mixed alcoholic drinks made from spirits combined with other ingredients like juice or soda, or any mixture of different things.
Possibly from 'cock's tail' referring to a rooster's tail feathers used to decorate drinks, or from a mixture served in a eggcup-shaped glass (cock tail), originated in early 1800s America.
The origin of 'cocktail' is genuinely mysterious—historians still debate whether it came from rooster feathers, a specific glass shape, or a woman named Betsy Flanagan, making this the perfect word for a drink full of unknown ingredients.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.