# cocaine

/koʊˈkeɪn/ (US) · /kəʊkˈeɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cocaine
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 3. to treat with cocaine

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

to give someone cocaine or treat a part of the body with it.

For teachers: to anaesthetize or treat a surface with cocaine. Transitive; less common than the noun form.

- The doctor had to cocaine the area before the small operation.
- In early twentieth-century surgical manuals, practitioners were often instructed to cocaine the mucous membranes to ensure patient comfort during the procedure.

## Examples

- The police found a large amount of cocaine in the car.
- Customs officers at the border are trained to detect hidden shipments of cocaine inside commercial cargo.
- The rise of international trafficking networks in the late twentieth century led to a significant increase in the global availability of cocaine and other illicit substances.

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