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.
The train will get you back to Tokyo in time for a nightcap, perhaps at Studio Mule, a listening bar in Shibuya that specializes in natural wine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026
The nightcap was a Black Sabbath reunion featuring guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2025
Knocks from Pages, Vargas, Rojas and Barnes in the nightcap of Tuesday’s doubleheader keyed another victory.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2024
A younger married pair named Nick and Honey come over for the world’s longest and most hellacious nightcap.
From New York Times ● Feb. 11, 2024
Breakfast at that early hour seemed odd, and even Hannah’s familiar face looked unnatural as she flew about her kitchen with her nightcap on.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
