ENGLISH
REFERENCE

coca

n.
US //ˈkoʊkə// UK //kˈəʊkɐ// co·ca
  1. 1 the plant or its leaves (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    a South American plant whose leaves are used to make cocaine or chewed for energy.

    a shrub native to the Andes, or its dried leaves, which contain alkaloids used to produce cocaine and are traditionally chewed as a stimulant.

    Example

    In some parts of the Andes, people chew coca leaves to help with altitude sickness.

    Example

    The cultivation of coca remains a complex political issue due to its dual role as a traditional medicinal herb and the raw material for illicit narcotics.

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish coca, from Quechua kuka, perhaps from Aymara.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Catalan coca. Doublet of cake.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Last updated June 20, 2026