nightcap
Americannoun
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Informal. an alcoholic drink taken at bedtime or at the end of a festive evening.
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a cap for the head, intended primarily to be worn in bed.
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Sports Informal. the last event of the program for the day, especially the second game of a doubleheader in baseball or the last race of the day in horse racing.
noun
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a bedtime drink, esp an alcoholic or hot one
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a soft cap formerly worn in bed
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nightcap
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at night, cap 1
Vocabulary lists containing nightcap
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.
Plus, Charleston on a budget, a new take on the nightcap and how to make your financial discipline last.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026
When Erivo’s concert ended on opening night, a cheerful crowd of more than 800 people rushed into the darkened streets looking for a nightcap and a bite to eat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025
The nightcap was a Black Sabbath reunion featuring guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2025
Comment: The hottest team in the conference takes the court in T Mobile Arena for the nightcap and wastes little time laying waste to the first of several victims.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 11, 2024
Next moment, Dumbledore was backing into the dormitory, wearing a long woolly dressing gown and a nightcap.
From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
