nightcap

noun

night·​cap ˈnīt-ˌkap 

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

That stretch started with the doubleheader sweep of the Detroit Tigers earlier this month, when Bazzana smacked a tying homer and a walk-off single in the nightcap. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Come early to regroup between screenings; come back when the festival moves from premieres to nightcaps. — Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026

Staying upstairs is the quiet advantage with no lines, just an elevator ride to a nightcap under all that light. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026

Ben Rice had a two-run single in New York's five-run eighth inning and finished with three RBIs as the Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 9-2 Saturday in the nightcap and earned a doubleheader split. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nightcap

• bandgap
• bitmap
• blackcap
• blackstrap
• bootstrap
• burlap
• claptrap
• entrap
• foolscap
• kidnap
• kneecap
• madcap

Kids Definition

nightcap

noun

night·​cap ˈnīt-ˌkap 

1

: a cap worn with nightclothes

2

: a drink taken at bedtime

3

: the final race or contest of a day's sports activities