Spanish Conversation · Level 38
74 words
Spanish word
coca
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈkoka/
Meaning
- feminine nouncoca leaf
Example
En los Andes se cultiva coca.
Coca leaves are grown in the Andes.
More examples
Se mastican hojas de coca para aliviar el mal de altura.
Coca leaves are chewed to relieve altitude sickness.
Core concept
Bundle of coca leaves prepared for chewing in traditional Andean use.
Common phrases
hojas de coca
coca leaves
té de coca
coca tea
cosecha de coca
coca harvest
Similar words
hoja de coca: An individual coca plant leaf, the raw plant part used for chewing or processing.
cocaína: White crystalline powder drug extracted and purified from coca leaves.
Definition in Spanish
Designa las hojas de la planta coca, usadas en la región andina con fines tradicionales, medicinales y rituales.
Word origin
The Spanish term coca traces to Quechua and Aymara plant names incorporated into Spanish in colonial times and is unrelated in origin to the Valencian pastry called coca.
Usage tips
- In Spain coca can also refer to a regional pastry in Catalonia and Valencia, so geographic context helps determine whether the reference is to the leaf or to a baked good.
Other meanings
- cocanoun
Related words
- cocaínacocainenoun
- cocalerococa growernoun
- cocalcoca plantationnoun