cover charge

noun

: a charge made by a restaurant or nightclub in addition to the charge for food and drink

Examples of cover charge in a Sentence

The nightclub has a $5 cover charge.
Recent Examples on the Web Port City Brewing is taking over King & Rye’s patio at the Alexandrian hotel for live Irish music, plus food and drinks, from noon to 4 p.m. Some post-parade events around town may have a cover charge. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 The performers are putting on an improv show, complete with a cover charge, refreshments and an introductory monologue. Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 In addition to the passes to the Formula One Paddock Club, which Bloomberg reported cost around $14,000, Suarez also made appearances at Once Upon a Kitchen and Carbone Beach, luxury after-parties featuring $6,000 and $3,000 cover charges, respectively. Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2024 But the weekend tribute shows continue on the outdoor stage without a cover charge, extending a tradition that Galuppi began about 13 years ago. Greg Carannante, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2024 Sets run from 8 to 11 p.m. both nights, and there’s no cover charge, which leaves more to spend on another pint. Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2024 The overwhelming majority of attendees were named Ryan (a few dozen non-Ryans joined, but had to pay a cover charge). Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023 Few dancers were scheduled to perform and management floated the idea of a cover charge that dancers disagreed with. Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023 While some military laws directly criminalized homosexual activity, other statutes were used as cover charges to drum gay men and women out of the service, meaning these numbers may only reveal a fraction of the true toll. Jessica Kegu, CBS News, 21 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cover charge.' 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

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cover charge was in 1921

Dictionary Entries Near cover charge

Cite this Entry

“Cover charge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cover%20charge. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cover charge

noun
: a charge made by a restaurant or nightclub in addition to the charge for food and drink
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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