1
: any of several South American shrubs (genus Erythroxylon, family Erythroxylaceae)
especially
: one (E. coca) that is the primary source of cocaine
2
: dried leaves of a coca (especially Erythroxylon coca) containing alkaloids including cocaine
Examples of coca in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bags of coca leaves—a sacred plant in Andean culture—are passed around in the strengthening sun.
—
David Nolan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 July 2025
These include cash transfers to youth to stay out of gangs, or a new coca crop substitution program that pays farmers to stop growing illicit crops.
—Mie Hoejris Dahl, Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2025
Welcome to the new Bolivia, where former coca grower Evo Morales has made the leaf a symbol of his two-year-old government.
—Olivia James, Outside Online, 24 Apr. 2025
Most exciting of all, a coca pouch the size of a wallet was sewn onto the primary cord.
—Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for coca
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David Nolan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 July 2025
These include cash transfers to youth to stay out of gangs, or a new coca crop substitution program that pays farmers to stop growing illicit crops.
—Mie Hoejris Dahl, Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2025
Welcome to the new Bolivia, where former coca grower Evo Morales has made the leaf a symbol of his two-year-old government.
—Olivia James, Outside Online, 24 Apr. 2025
Most exciting of all, a coca pouch the size of a wallet was sewn onto the primary cord.
—Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for coca
Cite this Entry
“Coca.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coca. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coca
noun
co·ca
ˈkō-kə 
: a South American shrub with leaves that are the source of cocaine
also
: its dried leaves
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