What does nog mean?
A nog is most often a rich, creamy holiday drink made in the style of eggnog, frequently flavoured with rum and served around Christmas. The name is also sometimes used more generally for an eggnog-like drink, whether or not it contains alcohol. In older and regional British usage, a nog can mean a complete head, as in a phrase referring to someone’s nog, or a small wooden peg inserted into a tankard to help secure its handle. The common modern use therefore has a narrower meaning than some of the word’s older applications. Although usually festive and informal, the term can appear in recipes, seasonal advertising, traditional celebrations, and historical descriptions of drinks. “Christmas nog” is the most established fixed expression, while the wooden-peg sense belongs largely to practical or traditional contexts.
nounA nog is a creamy eggnog-style drink, especially one served at Christmas; it may contain rum or another spirit. Less commonly in British English, the word means a whole head or a small wooden peg used to hold a glass.
- An eggnog-style creamy drink, especially one consumed at Christmas.
- A whole head, used especially in informal British English.
- A small wooden peg or dowel used to hold a serving glass.
"She served a warm mug of Christmas nog after dinner."
"The pub served free Christmas nog to its regulars."
"He steadied the tankard with a small wooden nog."
Plural is used when referring to multiple drinks, heads, or wooden pegs.
"The table was lined with glasses and wooden nogs."
Christmas nog is a Christmas tradition in more than one sense: the creamy drink, the rum or other spirit sometimes mixed into it, and the timeless pleasure of drinking it after a heavy meal.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nog come from?
The precise origin of nog is uncertain. The word is attested in the 18th century for a milk-based drink, and the modern form became closely associated with eggnog, originally a drink combining eggs and milk. Its use for a head and for a small wooden peg represents separate applications of the word rather than forms derived from the drink’s name.
How nog is actually used
The drink sense is common in both British and American English, although recipes and terminology vary. The senses meaning “head” and “wooden peg” are much less common and are encountered chiefly in British English.
Easily confused with nog
A nog is a drink or a small wooden peg, whereas a nug is a small lump or valuable object.