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Cocktail vs Drink - What's the difference?

cocktail | drink |

As nouns the difference between cocktail and drink

is that cocktail is a mixed alcoholic beverage while drink is a beverage.

As an adjective cocktail

is festive; lively.

As a verb drink is

to consume (a liquid) through the mouth.

cocktail

English

(wikipedia cocktail)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A mixed alcoholic beverage.
    • They visited a pub noted for the wide range of cocktails they serve.
  • * 1806 , 13 May 1806 edition of Balance and Columbian Repository , published by Hudson, New York, (first appearance in print):
    • Cocktail is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters — it is vulgarly called a bittered sling and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head.
  • A mixture of other substances.
    • Scientists found a cocktail of pollutants in the river downstream from the chemical factory.
    a cocktail of illegal drugs
  • A horse, not of pure breed, but having only one eighth or one sixteenth impure blood in its veins.
    • (Darwin)
  • (UK, slang, dated) A mean, half-hearted fellow; a coward.
  • * Thackeray
    • It was in the second affair that poor little Barney showed he was a cocktail .
  • A species of rove beetle, so called from its habit of elevating the tail.

    • Synonyms

    * mixed drink

    Derived terms

    * atomic cocktail * ckt * cocktail cabinet game * cocktail dress * cocktail frank * cocktail frankfurt * cocktail frankfurter * cocktail lounge * cocktail party * cocktail sauce * cocktail sav * cocktail savaloy * cocktail shaker * cocktail stick * cocktail table * Molotov cocktail

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Festive; lively.
  • *
    • now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music and the opera of voices pitches a key higher.

    See also

    * swizzle * See also

    References

    * ----

    drink

    English

    Alternative forms

    * drinck (obsolete)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

    Verb

  • (ambitransitive) To consume (a liquid) through the mouth.
  • * Spenser
    • There lies she with the blessed gods in bliss, / There drinks the nectar with ambrosia mixed.
  • * Thackeray
    • the bowl of punch which was brewed and drunk in Mrs. Betty's room
  • *
    • , title=The Mirror and the Lamp , chapter=2 citation , passage=That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired.}}
  • To consume alcoholic beverages.
  • * Thackeray
    • Bolingbroke always spoke freely when he had drunk freely.
  • * Shakespeare
    • I drink to the general joy of the whole table, / And to our dear friend Banquo.
  • To take in (a liquid), in any manner; to suck up; to absorb; to imbibe.
  • * Dryden
    • Let the purple violets drink the stream.
  • To take in; to receive within one, through the senses; to inhale; to hear; to see.
  • * Tennyson
    • to drink the cooler air
  • * Shakespeare
    • My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words / Of that tongue's utterance.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • Let me drink delicious poison from thy eye.
  • (obsolete) To smoke, as tobacco.
  • * Taylor (1630)
    • And some men now live ninety years and past, / Who never drank tobacco first nor last.
    Synonyms
    * gulp, imbibe, quaff, sip, see also * (consume alcoholic beverages) drink alcohol
    Derived terms
    * drinkable * drink and drive * drinker * drinking * drink like a fish * drink under the table * drink up
    Related terms
    * drunken, drunk

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) . Compare (etyl) (m).

    Noun

  • A beverage.
  • A (served) alcoholic beverage.
  • The action of drinking, especially with the verbs take'' or ''have .
  • A type of beverage (usually mixed).
  • Alcoholic beverages in general.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1935, author= George Goodchild
    • , title=Death on the Centre Court, chapter=1 , passage=She mixed furniture with the same fatal profligacy as she mixed drinks , and this outrageous contact between things which were intended by Nature to be kept poles apart gave her an inexpressible thrill.}}
  • * '>citation
  • Any body of water.
  • (uncountable, archaic) Drinks in general; something to drink
  • * , (w) 25:35:
    • For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink
    Usage notes
    * A plainer term than more elevated term (beverage). Beverage is of French origin, while drink is of Old English origin, and this stylistic difference by origin is common; see (list of English words with dual French and Anglo-Saxon variations).
    Synonyms
    * (served beverage) beverage, see also * (served alcoholic beverage) beverage, see also * (action of drinking) gulp, sip, swig * (type of beverage) beverage * (alcoholic beverages in general) alcohol
    Derived terms
    * the big drink * drink-driver * drink-driving * drive to drink * in the drink * straw that stirs the drink * take to drink