nightcap

[ nahyt-kap ]

/ ˈnaɪtˌkæp /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nightcap ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Informal. an alcoholic drink taken at bedtime or at the end of a festive evening.

a cap for the head, intended primarily to be worn in bed.

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.

Nearby words

night-light, night-long, night-night, night-sky light, night-time, nightcap, nightclothes, nightclub, nightclubbing, nightdress, nightfall

Origin of nightcap

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at night, cap¹

Related formsnight·capped, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for nightcap

That night, about a week before Thanksgiving, Salahi invited her to his hotel room for a nightcap.
Tareq Salahi’s New Troubles|Diane Dimond|March 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Elaine was always happy to see me, although she didn't bother to hide her irritation when I'd come for a nightcap.
Farewell to New York's Legendary Restaurateur|Lloyd Grove|December 3, 2010|DAILY BEAST
He had a red handkerchief tied about his head for a nightcap; and he was sound asleep, with his mouth wide open.
Nelly's Silver Mine|Helen Hunt Jackson
Long curls, escaping from the nightcap which imprisons his blond head, fall over his forehead.
Library of the World's Best literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 12|Various

The old woman was at it in a nightcap, and I think the stone must have touched her head.
Mrs. Halliburton's Troubles|Mrs. Henry Wood
Peckaby in his shirt and nightcap, opened the door, and she bounded in.
Verner's Pride|Mrs. Henry Wood
Then I saw the whole of them crowd into the door for their nightcap, and that was all I waited for.
Red Men and White|Owen Wister

British Dictionary definitions for nightcap

nightcap

/ (ˈnaɪtˌkæp) /

noun

a bedtime drink, esp an alcoholic or hot one

a soft cap formerly worn in bed

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

nightcap

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of nightcap

Examples from the Web for nightcap

British Dictionary definitions for nightcap

nightcap

noun