cover charge

American  

noun

1. a fee, in addition to the cost of food and drink, charged by a restaurant, nightclub, etc., for entertainment.

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cover charge British  

noun

1. a sum of money charged in a restaurant for each individual customer in addition to the cost of food and drink

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Etymology

Origin of cover charge

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cover charge

I have also been invited to parties like this, where there is a cover charge to celebrate, so I can empathize with your irritation.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

Few dancers were scheduled to perform and management floated the idea of a cover charge that dancers disagreed with.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2023

There's a cover charge for show nights, but bowling is reasonable if you have a group, as it's only $35 per lane, per half hour.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2023

The acquisition of an elite quarterback is the cover charge for sustained NFL success, and they aced that part when they drafted and developed Mahomes.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 20, 2023

It is only 135 hours until we are all standing at the door of Atlantis again with our cover charge in our palms.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King