coca
coca Lexical Profile
coca Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A tropical South American shrub of the genus Erythroxylum, native particularly to the Andes, whose leaves contain psychoactive alkaloids including cocaine.
"The government launched a controversial campaign to eradicate illegal coca crops in the jungle regions."
The dried leaves of the coca shrub, which are traditionally chewed or brewed into tea by Indigenous Andean peoples to suppress hunger, thirst, and altitude sickness.
"Before embarking on the steep mountain trek, the local guide offered us a small bag of coca to chew."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently confused with 'cacao' and 'cocoa'; however, coca is an Andean shrub known for leaves containing cocaine, whereas cacao refers to the tropical tree whose seeds are used to make cocoa and chocolate.
• Rhymes for coca
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Mid 16th century: from Spanish, borrowed from Aymara and Quechua 'kuka'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.