nightcap en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈnaɪtˌkæp/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From night + cap.
Meanings
-
A warm cloth cap worn while sleeping, often with pajamas, being common attire in northern Europe before effective home heating became widespread.
Winston wore a nightcap to stave off the cold.
-
A beverage drunk before bed that is usually alcoholic.
I'll make myself a nightcap of whisky and lemon before heading to bed.
This week I took up the relatively simple challenge of buying breakfast, lunch and dinner—and a nightcap—exclusively from konbini, as well as completing a couple of admin tasks.
2024 November 8, Justin McCurry, “Coffee, sandwiches, underwear, beer: a day in the life of Japan’s beloved konbini stores”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:You know the other night, when I had dinner with Afro-Dite? When Jo was in San Francisco? Well we dropped into the Sinners, right, just for a nightcap.
1980 August 2, Andrea F. Loewenstein, “Random Lust”, in Gay Community News, page 14:
-
(broadly, figuratively) Something that a person reads or listens to before bed.
"[…] and as a nightcap I happened to pick the copy of Plato […]"
1920, Granville Stanley Hall, Recreations of a Psychologist:
- (US) The final match of a sporting contest, especially the second game of a baseball doubleheader.
- (historical) A cap drawn over the face of the condemned person before they are hanged.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| night-cap | alternative | lexicographic | |
| nightcaps | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| night cap | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
nightcapped · Nightcap · nightcap oak
Translations (29)
mk капа за спиење (warm cap worn at night) · it berretto da notte (warm cap worn at night) · sv nattmössa (warm cap worn at night) · nl slaapmutsje (beverage) · pt touca de dormir (warm cap worn at night) · pt barrete de dormir (warm cap worn at night) · el νυχτικός σκούφος (warm cap worn at night) · ru ночно́й колпа́к (warm cap worn at night) · sh noćna kapica (warm cap worn at night) · es gorro de dormir (warm cap worn at night) · de Schlummertrunk (beverage) · sv sängfösare (beverage) · vo slipabonät (warm cap worn at night) · hu hálósapka (warm cap worn at night) · nl slaapmuts (warm cap worn at night) · ja 寝酒 (beverage) · gl gorro de dormir (warm cap worn at night) · hu hálósipka (warm cap worn at night) · fi yömyssy (beverage) · de Absacker (beverage) · it berretto frigio (warm cap worn at night) · pl szlafmyca (warm cap worn at night) · fr bonnet de nuit (warm cap worn at night) · pt gorro de dormir (warm cap worn at night) · cmn 睡帽 (warm cap worn at night) · ru колпа́к (warm cap worn at night) · de Schlafmütze (warm cap worn at night) · it papalina (warm cap worn at night) · fi yömyssy (warm cap worn at night)