blackcap

[ blak-kap ]

/ ˈblækˌkæp /

Save This Word!

noun

any of several birds having the top of the head black, as the chickadee and certain warblers, especially the Old World blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla.

the black raspberry plant or fruit.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of blackcap

First recorded in 1650–60; black + cap¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use blackcap in a sentence

He was in his house gown and wore a little black cap to cover his bald spot.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn|Margaret Penrose
He called like the familiar black-cap, and his behavior was much like that bird's.
Birds of the Rockies|Leander Sylvester Keyser
The Van Hoosen colors were, black cap and white shirt with large black bands.
Jack Harkaway in New York|Bracebridge Hemyng
Finally, after some minutes' wait, a frail, white-haired man in a little black cap-of-maintenance appeared in the screen.
Space Viking|Henry Beam Piper

The q-b goes to thank the black-cap for the white bread, whilst I settle the bill and ask for food for the journey.
Sea and Sardinia|D. H. Lawrence

British Dictionary definitions for blackcap (1 of 2)

blackcap

/ (ˈblækˌkæp) /

noun

a brownish-grey Old World warbler, Sylvia atricapilla, the male of which has a black crown

any of various similar birds, such as the black-capped chickadee (Parus atricapillus)

US a popular name for raspberry (def. 3)

British (formerly) the cap worn by a judge when passing a death sentence

British Dictionary definitions for blackcap (2 of 2)

black cap

noun

another name for white-fronted tern

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012