coke
gb/kˈoʊk/ us/kˈoʊk/
A2
English
~ 8500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
cola-flavored soft drink brand
A sweet, fizzy, dark drink, usually meaning the Coca‑Cola brand and sometimes used for any cola or soda.
Usage pattern:
drink [a coke] / drink [Coke]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes do not capitalize the brand name "Coke" when they are clearly talking about the Coca‑Cola product in writing. In some areas of the U.S., "coke" can mean any soda, which can be confusing; in more neutral English, use "cola" or "soda" for the general drink and "Coke" for the brand.
Synonyms
cola (A more general word for any cola-flavored soft drink; not tied to one brand.)
|
soda (North American; a general word for any sweet fizzy drink, not only cola.)
Antonyms
water (A common contrasting choice, since it is not sweet or carbonated.)
Collocations
a can of coke
|a bottle of coke
|diet coke
|regular coke
|warm coke
|flat coke
Themes
food_and_drink
|brands
|daily_life
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She grabbed a cold coke from the fridge before the movie started.
- Do you want a coke or something else to drink?
- In some parts of the U.S., people say "coke" when they mean any kind of soda.
- He ordered a burger, fries, and a large Coke.
- I spilled coke on the couch and had to clean it up right away.
Learner examples
- I drink a small coke with my lunch.
- He bought a can of coke at the store.
- Would you like a coke or juice?
- She does not like warm coke.
- They shared a big bottle of coke at the party.
Noun
slang
B2
entity
2
slang term for cocaine
The illegal drug cocaine, usually a white powder that people take to feel very energetic or excited.
Usage pattern:
do [coke] / be on [coke]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this slang meaning with the soft drink meaning, especially in writing. Context usually makes the meaning clear: talking about parties, addiction, police, or crime usually refers to the drug. Also, learners sometimes use this slang in formal writing; in formal contexts, use "cocaine" instead of "coke".
Synonyms
cocaine (The standard, non-slang term; used in medical or formal contexts.)
|
blow (Another slang word for cocaine, common in informal speech.)
Antonyms
sobriety (Refers to the state of not using drugs or alcohol, the opposite condition of using coke.)
Collocations
do coke
|snort coke
|buy coke
|sell coke
|be on coke
|coke habit
Themes
drugs
|crime
|health
|daily_life
Examples
- He was arrested for trying to sell coke outside the club.
- She said her ex-boyfriend lost everything because of coke.
- The character in the show is clearly high on coke in that scene.
- They found several bags of coke hidden in the car door.
- His friends worried that he was doing coke every weekend.
Learner examples
- The movie shows a singer who starts using coke.
- He went to jail for selling coke.
- She stopped using coke after she got help.
- Police found coke in his apartment.
- He lost his job because he was on coke at work.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
3
industrial fuel from heated coal
A hard black fuel made from coal or oil by heating it without air, used in factories, especially to make metal.
Usage pattern:
burn [coke] in [a furnace]
Common mistake:
Learners often do not know this technical meaning and may assume "coke" always refers to the drink or the drug. In scientific or industrial texts, check the context: if the topic is steel, furnaces, or energy, it usually refers to this solid fuel.
Synonyms
processed coal (A descriptive phrase that explains what coke is, but is less precise and not a standard technical term.)
Antonyms
raw coal (Coal in its natural state before being heated to make coke; contrasts the processed product with the unprocessed fuel.)
Collocations
burn coke
|coke oven
|metallurgical coke
|coke production
|coke plant
|coal and coke
Themes
industry
|energy
|science
|work
Examples
- The blast furnace is charged with iron ore, coke, and limestone.
- Coke is produced in large ovens that heat coal without exposure to air.
- Demand for metallurgical coke has risen with increased steel production.
- The plant plans to reduce emissions from its coke-burning process.
- Engineers monitor the quality of coke used in the smelting operation.
Learner examples
- The factory burns coke to make steel.
- Coke is made by heating coal without air.
- They store the coke in large piles near the plant.
- Good coke is important for making strong metal.
- The company wants cleaner ways to use coke in industry.
Verb
technical
C2
action
4
to turn coal into coke
To heat coal or oil with no air so that it changes into the hard fuel called coke.
Usage pattern:
to coke [coal] in [a coke oven]
Common mistake:
This verb is rare outside technical or industrial texts. Learners may think it has something to do with the drink or the drug, but in engineering contexts it only refers to the process of making coke fuel.
Synonyms
carbonize (A more general technical term for turning a substance into carbon; "coke" is specific to making the fuel coke from coal or petroleum.)
Antonyms
burn (Burning involves reacting with oxygen, while coking is heating without air; they are contrasting processes for coal.)
Collocations
to coke coal
|coked in an oven
|coke the feedstock
|coking process
|coke formation
Themes
industry
|energy
|science
|work
Examples
- The plant will coke the coal before it is used in the blast furnace.
- In this unit, the heavy oil is coked to produce lighter products and solid fuel.
- If the material is overheated, it may coke unevenly and reduce furnace efficiency.
- These ovens are designed to coke low-grade coal for industrial use.
- Engineers monitor how quickly the feedstock will coke under different conditions.
Learner examples
- The factory cokes the coal in special ovens.
- They coke the heavy oil to make solid fuel.
- If you coke the coal, you get a cleaner fuel.
- This machine is used to coke low-quality coal.
- The company wants a better way to coke the material.
Grammar
Dictionary form
coke
IPA
GB/kˈoʊk/
US/kˈoʊk/
Syllables & stress
coke (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (coke)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: coke
- Plural: coke, cokes
Verb
- Base: coke
- 3rd Person Singular: cokes
- Present Participle: coking
- Past: coked
Word family
Forms
cokes
noun
coking
verb
coked
verb
Core family
cola
noun A1
coca-cola
noun
Expressions
Coke bottle glasses
1/kˈoʊk bˈɑtəl ɡlˈæsɪz/
idiom
informal
very thick eyeglasses
Very thick glasses with strong lenses that make the eyes look big, like the bottom of a Coke bottle.
Examples
- The professor with the Coke bottle glasses peered over his notes at the class.
- As a kid he wore Coke bottle glasses until he got contact lenses.
- The character is drawn with huge Coke bottle glasses to make him look extra nerdy.
do coke
1/dˈu kˈoʊk/
fixed phrase
slang
take cocaine recreationally
To use cocaine, usually as a drug taken for fun at parties or in private.
Examples
- She stopped hanging out with people who do coke every weekend.
- He bragged about how much coke he used to do.
- They used to do coke together when they were in college.
on coke
1/ˈɔn kˈoʊk/
fixed phrase
slang
under the influence of cocaine
Using cocaine at that time, or very recently, so that the drug is affecting you.
Examples
- The comedian joked that half the band was on coke in the seventies.
- He sounded like he was on coke, talking super fast and not making sense.
- They found out the driver was on coke during the accident.
snort coke
1/snˈɔɹt kˈoʊk/
fixed phrase
informal
Inhale cocaine powder nasally
To breathe in cocaine powder through your nose.
Examples
- They were caught trying to snort coke in the bathroom.
- He bragged about how much coke he could snort.
snort coke
2/snˈɔɹt kˈoʊk/
fixed phrase
slang
inhale powdered cocaine nasally
To breathe cocaine powder in through the nose to take the drug.
Examples
- He was caught snorting coke in the bathroom at the club.
- Characters in the film casually snort coke at a fancy party.
- They showed how easy it is for teenagers to get and snort coke.