eggnog

American

[eg-nog] / ˈɛgˌnɒg /

noun

a drink made of eggs, egg, milk or cream, sugar, and, usually, rum or wine.

eggnog British

/ ˌɛɡˈnɒɡ /

noun

Also called: egg flip. a drink that can be served hot or cold, made of eggs, milk, sugar, spice, and brandy, rum, or other spirit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of eggnog

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75; egg ¹ + nog ¹

Vocabulary lists containing eggnog

Ben Zimmer's 30 Great American Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The geniuses of Wall Street have eggnog all over their highly paid faces this Christmas, yet again, after most of their big financial predictions for the year turned out wrong.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 26, 2025

Did they spike the eggnog over there at WSJ?

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

The end of the year marks the return of eggnog and latkes, gifting and regifting — and holiday-themed shows to bask in tradition, communal spirit and, yes, fun.

From New York Times • Nov. 27, 2024

The success we’ve had in this genre, not just that they’re about Christmas, but people really love that tradition of “oh, I decorate the tree, we have eggnog, we watch Christmas movies together.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2024

After the meal, the master went to order the carriage to take them to some admiral’s house for eggnog.

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023