Black Caps

British

plural noun

the international cricket team of New Zealand

"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

Etymology

Origin of Black Caps

C20: so named because of the players' black caps

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

South Africa were previously unbeaten at this tournament, including a seven-wicket victory over the Black Caps in the initial group phase, but faltered with the bat after losing the toss.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Set a tricky 183 in Chennai, the Black Caps recovered from a parlous 14-2 thanks to opener Tim Seifert's 65 off 42 balls.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026

An under-strength Black Caps backed up their remarkable maiden Test series win in India, when they powered to a 3-0 clean sweep in 2024.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

Many Black Caps fans hoped Williamson would be the first New Zealander to cross the 10,000 run threshold before he hangs up his hat.

From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025

Muriel, you may be a moonshiner, you may be the leader of the Black Caps, but I am proud to know you!

From Frank Merriwell Down South by Standish, Burt L.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023