nightcap

noun

night·​cap ˈnīt-ˌkap How to pronounce nightcap (audio)
1
: a cloth cap worn with nightclothes
2
: a usually alcoholic drink taken at the end of the day
3
: the final race or contest of a day's sports
especially : the second game of a baseball doubleheader

Examples of nightcap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web 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. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Kazanjian hopes people come for upscale dinners, but also for post-work drinks or a nightcap after Golden 1 Center events. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 The nightcap has Texas and Washington clashing in the Sugar Bowl. Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2024 Said to be beloved by the fairies, the bluebells have a number of delightful nicknames: witches’ thimbles, lady’s nightcap, harebells, fairy flowers, crow’s toes. Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024 Monday's nightcap is an NFC battle between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2024 The gym will be cleared following the Chatsworth-LACES boys game, then reopened for the nightcap. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Still, the nightcap isn’t necessarily harmful and should be safe to try if you’ve been influenced enough. Maggie O'Neill, Health, 20 Jan. 2024 The pandemic was brutal for the hotel’s tenants, emptying downtown of tourists and white- and blue-collar workers, many of whom, over the course of decades, came for lunch, nightcaps, and everything in between. Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nightcap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nightcap was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near nightcap

Cite this Entry

“Nightcap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nightcap. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nightcap

noun
night·​cap ˈnīt-ˌkap How to pronounce nightcap (audio)
1
: a cap worn with nightclothes
2
: a drink taken at bedtime
3
: the final race or contest of a day's sports activities

More from Merriam-Webster on nightcap

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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