eggnog
UK /ˌɛɡˈnɒɡ/ · US /ˈɛɡ.nɑɡ/ noun
Forms eggnogs egg nog
- noun A beverage based on milk, eggs, sugar, and nutmeg; often made alcoholic with rum, brandy, or whisky; popular at Christmas.
Synonyms
Etymology
American English c. 1775 (although drinks like it are attested far earlier, e.g. posset, of which a monastic Christmas recipe used eggs), from egg + nog.
The second element is uncertain and long-debated; prominent claims include Norfolk dialect nog (“strong ale”), or a clipping of noggin (“small, carved wooden mug used to serve alcohol”) (q.v.). Another hypothesis is that it is a variant of grog (“rum-and-water cocktail”).
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “eggnog”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details