a drink of mixed spirits or of spirits mixed with flavourings
something resembling or suggesting such a drink; esp a mixture of diverse elements
a deadly cocktail of chemicals
a dish served as a starter or dessert usu consisting of seafood or chopped fruit with a sauce or dressing
(used before a noun) suitable for social occasions involving cocktails
a cocktail dress
prob from cock1 + tail1. The word orig meant a horse with a tail that stuck up like a cock's, caused by cutting the tail muscles. As this was usually done to carriage horses and hunters, the word was then applied to a racehorse that had one of these in its pedigree, i.e. that was not pure bred; hence a mixture