cover charge

American

noun

a fee, in addition to the cost of food and drink, charged by a restaurant, nightclub, etc., for entertainment.

cover charge British

noun

a sum of money charged in a restaurant for each individual customer in addition to the cost of food and drink

"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 cover charge

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

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.

See Examples For:

cover charge

I have also been invited to parties like this, where there is a cover charge to celebrate, so I can empathize with your irritation.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

He was looking for something other than just another fancy dinner, and for him, the $47-per-person cover charge was well worth it.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2025

There's a cover charge for show nights, but bowling is reasonable if you have a group, as it's only $35 per lane, per half hour.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2023

While diners with reservations don’t have to pay the show’s cover charge to eat upstairs, it might be loud.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 4, 2022

It is only 135 hours until we are all standing at the door of Atlantis again with our cover charge in our palms.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King

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