coke

Everyday

1. Coke (with a capital C) is short for Coca-Cola, a fizzy drink. tree →
2. Coke is a solid fuel made from coal by heating it without air; it burns very hot and is used in steel-making. tree →
3. (slang) Coke is a short name for cocaine, an illegal and dangerous drug. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life people order «a Coke» or «a can of Coke». In history and science lessons about the industrial revolution, coke was burned in furnaces to make iron and steel. The drug sense appears in news and crime stories; in safety lessons, children learn illegal drugs are harmful and to tell an adult if offered any. Phrases: a can of Coke, Diet Coke, coke ovens.

Examples

• Can I have a Coke with my burger? tree →
• A can of Coke has a lot of sugar. tree →
• In the old ironworks, coke was burned in huge furnaces. tree →
• Coke is made by heating coal without air. tree →
• The police found drugs, including coke, in the car. (slang) tree →
• We bought 6 cans of Coke at 80p each, which cost £4.80. tree →

Note

Coke the drink is a brand name, so it has a capital C. The fuel is lower case and uncountable. The drug sense is slang. In the US South, «coke» may mean any fizzy drink. Too many fizzy drinks harm teeth.