noun
nightcap
NYT-kap
noun
1
An alcoholic drink taken shortly before going to bed.
"He liked a small whisky as a nightcap."
2
Historically, a soft cap worn in bed to keep the head warm.
"In old illustrations, characters are often shown wearing a tasselled nightcap."
How to Use Nightcap
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a bedtime drink or, in older usage, a cloth cap worn to bed.
Common pairings
have a nightcap
a whisky nightcap
Word Forms
nightcapped past tense, nightcaps plural, nightcaps singular
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Etymology
From night + cap — originally the literal sleeping cap, with the "bedtime drink" sense developing later by association.