coca-cola

IPA/ˌkəʊ.kəˈkəʊ.lə/
KK[kˌokəkˈolɑ]IPA/ˌkoʊ.kəˈkoʊ.lə/

coca-cola — noun

1. the registered trademark of a well-known fizzy soft drink first produced in Atla

1.nounA2
Definition

the registered trademark of a well-known fizzy soft drink first produced in Atlanta in 1886, dark brown in colour and sweetened with sugar; the name is also used loosely to mean a glass, can, or bottle of this drink

Example

Hui ordered a Coca-Cola with extra ice at the diner counter.

order a Coca-Cola

Ada brought two bottles of Coca-Cola to the picnic in the park.

a bottle of Coca-Cola

Common collocations
  • a can of Coca-Cola
  • a bottle of Coca-Cola
  • a glass of Coca-Cola
  • ice-cold Coca-Cola
  • diet Coca-Cola
Synonyms
  • Coke

    the informal short form, used in everyday speech far more often than the full name

  • cola

    the generic term for any sweet brown fizzy drink of this type, including non-brand versions

Grammar Patterns

a Coca-Cola

two Coca-Colas

a can of Coca-Cola

a bottle of Coca-Cola

Usage Note

Capitalised as a proper trademark in formal writing (Coca-Cola), though lowercase 'coca-cola' is common in casual usage. The short form 'Coke' is far more frequent in everyday speech, especially when ordering at restaurants or shops.

Common Mistakes

I want a coke cola, please.
I want a Coca-Cola, please.
the brand name is one hyphenated word with two 'c' sounds; 'coke cola' is not a valid spelling.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These five words sit on a scale from brand-specific to fully generic. 'Coca-Cola' is the registered trademark of the original Atlanta-made drink and is used in formal writing or on signage. 'Coke' is the same drink in casual speech — what most native speakers actually say when ordering ('I'll have a Coke, please'). 'Cola' is the generic term: any dark brown sweet fizzy drink with a similar flavour, including non-branded supermarket versions, can be called a cola. 'Soda' (American English) and 'pop' (Midwestern US, Canada) are even broader — they cover any sweet fizzy drink, including orange, lemon, ginger, and root flavours, not only cola. So at a restaurant a customer might order 'a Coke' (specific drink) while a parent might tell a child 'no more soda before dinner' (any fizzy drink at all).

Coca-Cola ↗Coke ↗cola ↗soda ↗pop ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Coca-Cola bottle
  • Coca-Cola can
  • Coca-Cola advert
  • Coca-Cola logo

Phrases

  • ice-cold Coca-Cola
  • a can of Coca-Cola
  • diet Coca-Cola

Prepositions

  • Coca-Cola with [ice/lime]

Etymology

QuechuaWest African (Temne)English

The name was created in 1886 by Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton, who combined two ingredients in the original recipe: an extract of the coca leaf (the source of the prefix 'coca-') and the kola nut (the source of '-cola', with the spelling changed for visual symmetry). Pemberton's bookkeeper Frank Robinson designed the famous flowing script logo that still appears on bottles today. Although coca-leaf extract was removed from the formula in 1903, the name has remained unchanged for over a century.