nightclub

American  

[nahyt-kluhb] / ˈnaɪtˌklʌb /

noun

1. Also night club an establishment for evening entertainment, generally open until the early morning, that serves liquor and usually food and offers patrons music, comedy acts, a floor show, or dancing; nightspot.

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verb (used without object)

nightclubbed, nightclubbing

1. to visit nightclubs.

nightclub British  

/ ˈnaɪtˌklʌb /

noun

1. a place of entertainment open until late at night, formerly offering food, drink, a floor show, dancing, etc, but now usually featuring loud amplified music for dancing

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nightclubber
  noun

Etymology

Origin of nightclub

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; night + club

Explanation

A nightclub is a bar or a disco where people can dance or be entertained late into the night. There are many nightclubs in New York City, but there are no nightclubs at all in most tiny Vermont villages. Visitors to a nightclub can eat and drink; watch singers, dancers, or comedians perform; and usually also dance to live music or songs played by a DJ. You can also call a nightclub a "club" for short — the dance floor is what distinguishes it from a bar or a pub. The word nightclub sounds modern, but it dates from the late nineteenth century.

Example Sentences

Brook initially claimed to have been alone at the nightclub in Wellington, only for it to emerge that he was alongside team-mates Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film is directly alluded to on the walls of one of Renton’s nightclub haunts, which are decorated like the Korova Milkbar.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

“It feels like a nightclub in here where everyone is battling for the biggest bottle,” said art-market economist Magnus Resch, as he mingled with collector Eugenio Lopez and art adviser Evan Beard.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

But she said their relationship changed after Wignall's nightclub business started to fail.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Dorothea wrote about her tour, and about her new job in a nightclub, and about Nick; but she said nothing at all about April’s coming home.

From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Related Words

• bar
• bistro
• cabaret
• disco
• discotheque
• restaurant
• saloon
• speakeasy
• tavern
• watering hole