n.1 a usu. alcoholic drink made by mixing various spirits, fruit juices, etc.
2 a dish of mixed ingredients (fruit cocktail; shellfish cocktail).
3 any hybrid mixture.
Phrases and idioms:
cocktail dress a usu. short evening dress suitable for wearing at a drinks party. cocktail stick a small pointed stick for serving an olive, cherry, small sausage, etc.
Etymology: orig. unkn.: cf. earlier sense 'docked horse' f. COCK(1): the connection is unclear