Cocainism
/ˈkoʊ.keɪ.nɪ.zəm/noun
Addiction to or habitual use of cocaine.
Did you know?The suffix -ism here simply marks a condition or practice; unlike words such as *disaster* or *mortgage*, there’s no hidden occult meaning in the form itself, only the stark history of cocaine addiction in modern medicine.
Etymological Timeline
1860s
English
cocainism
“A condition or habit involving cocaine use, especially addiction.”
1850s
French
cocaïne
“Cocaine, the alkaloid extracted from coca leaves.”
1850s
German
Cocain
“Cocaine; a chemical name formed in scientific usage.”
Pre-Columbian
Quechua
kuka
“The coca plant or its leaves.”
19th Century
English
cocaine
“The drug derived from coca leaves, later used medically and recreationally.”
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