cap

[ kap ]

/ kæp /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cap ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a close-fitting covering for the head, usually of soft supple material and having no visor or brim.

a brimless head covering with a visor, as a baseball cap.

mobcap.

a headdress denoting rank, occupation, religious order, or the like: a nurse's cap.

mortarboard(def 2).

Mathematics. the symbol ∩, used to indicate the intersection of two sets.Compare intersection(def 3a).

anything resembling or suggestive of a covering for the head in shape, use, or position: a cap on a bottle.

summit; top; acme.

a maximum limit, as one set by law or agreement on prices, wages, spending, etc., during a certain period of time; ceiling: a 9 percent cap on pay increases for this year.

Mycology. the pileus of a mushroom.

Botany. calyptra(def 1).

Mining. a short, horizontal beam at the top of a prop for supporting part of a roof.

a percussion cap.

British Sports. a selection for a representative team, usually for a national squad.

a noise-making device for toy pistols, made of a small quantity of explosive wrapped in paper or other thin material.

Nautical. a fitting of metal placed over the head of a spar, as a mast or bowsprit, and having a collar for securing an additional spar.

a new tread applied to a worn pneumatic tire.

Architecture. a capital.

Carpentry. a metal plate placed over the iron of a plane to break the shavings as they rise.

Fox Hunting. capping fee.

Chiefly British Slang. a contraceptive diaphragm.

verb (used with object), capped, cap·ping.

to provide or cover with or as if with a cap.

to complete.

follow up with something as good or better; surpass; outdo: to cap one joke with another.

to serve as a cap, covering, or top to; overlie.

to put a maximum limit on (prices, wages, spending, etc.).

British Sports. to select (a player) for a representative team.

verb (used without object), capped, cap·ping.

Fox Hunting. to hunt with a hunting club of which one is not a member, on payment of a capping fee.

Nearby words

Idioms

cap in hand, humbly; in supplication: He went to his father cap in hand and begged his forgiveness.

set one's cap for, to pursue as being a potential mate.

Origin of cap

before 1000; Middle English cappe, Old English cæppe < Late Latin cappa hooded cloak, cap; cf. cape¹

Related formscap·less, adjective

cap

[ kap ]

/ kæp /

noun

a capital letter.

Usually caps. uppercase: Please set the underlined in caps.

verb (used with object), capped, cap·ping.

to write or print in capital letters, or make an initial letter a capital; capitalize.

Origin of cap

First recorded in 1895–1900; by shortening

cap

[ kap ]

/ kæp /

noun Slang.

a capsule, especially of a narcotic drug.

Origin of cap

by shortening of capsule

CAP

Civil Air Patrol.

Common Agricultural Policy: a coordinated system established in 1960 by the European Economic Community for stabilizing prices of farm products of its member countries.

computer-aided publishing.

Stock Exchange. convertible adjustable preferred (stock).

Also C.A.P. (for defs 1, 2, 4).

cap.

(in prescriptions) let the patient take.

Origin of cap.

From the Latin word capiat

cap.

chapter.

Origin of cap.

From the Latin word capitulum, caput

cap.

capacity.

capital.

capitalize.

capitalized.

capital letter.

foolscap.

Weinberger

[ wahyn-bur-ger ]

/ ˈwaɪn bɜr gər /

noun

Caspar W(illard)Cap, 1917–2006, U.S. government official: Secretary of Defense 1981–87.

Ja·ro·mir

[yahr-uh-meer] /ˈyɑr əˌmɪər/, 1896–1967, Czech composer, in the U.S.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cap

In fact, Clark fell back first from her blows, losing his cap, tie, and badge in the melee.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’|Gary May|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The cap devices on thousands of identical hats glinted in the late morning sun along with the shields worn by each of the cops.
Choking Back Tears, Thousands of Cops Honor Fallen Officer Ramos|Michael Daly|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The CAP paper estimates that if current trends continue unabated, overtime pay will disappear entirely by 2026.
It’s Always Black Friday for Clerks|Michael Tomasky|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Republicans took control of the state legislature and swiftly eliminated the cap on charter schools.
At This Creepy Libertarian Charter School, Kids Must Swear ‘to Be Obedient to Those in Authority’|ProPublica|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

North Carolina, like many states, had been cautious when it first allowed charter schools and had placed a cap on their growth.
At This Creepy Libertarian Charter School, Kids Must Swear ‘to Be Obedient to Those in Authority’|ProPublica|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“On deck, sir,” replied the big boatswain, touching his cap to the principal.
Up The Baltic|Oliver Optic
He wriggled out of my hands and picked up his cap from the table.
Sonia Between two Worlds|Stephen McKenna
The chimneys may be made with such low fitting between the cap and the body that no interior swinging flaps are required.
The Preparation of Plantation Rubber|Sidney Morgan
The rifleman appeared from the darkness, touching his cap to me.
The Maid-At-Arms|Robert W. Chambers
And they gave him a cap like a saucer turned upside down and made of gold, and he looked all dressed up for a party.
Half-Past Seven Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for cap

cap

/ (kæp) /

noun

a covering for the head, esp a small close-fitting one made of cloth or knitted

such a covering serving to identify the wearer's rank, occupation, etca nurse's cap

something that protects or covers, esp a small lid or coverlens cap

an uppermost surface or partthe cap of a wave

See percussion cap
a small amount of explosive enclosed in paper and used in a toy gun

sport, mainly British

an emblematic hat or beret given to someone chosen for a representative teamhe has won three England caps
a player chosen for such a team

the upper part of a pedestal in a classical order

the roof of a windmill, sometimes in the form of a dome

botany the pileus of a mushroom or toadstool

hunting

money contributed to the funds of a hunt by a follower who is neither a subscriber nor a farmer, in return for a day's hunting
a collection taken at a meet of hounds, esp for a charity

anatomy

the natural enamel covering a tooth
an artificial protective covering for a tooth

See Dutch cap (def. 2)

an upper financial limit

a mortarboard when worn with a gown at an academic ceremony (esp in the phrase cap and gown)

meteorol

the cloud covering the peak of a mountain
the transient top of detached clouds above an increasing cumulus

cap in hand humbly, as when asking a favour

if the cap fits British the allusion or criticism seems to be appropriate to a particular person

set one's cap for or set one's cap at (of a woman) to be determined to win as a husband or lover

verb caps, capping or capped (tr)

to cover, as with a capsnow capped the mountain tops

informal to outdo; excelyour story caps them all; to cap an anecdote

to cap it all to provide the finishing touchwe had sun, surf, cheap wine, and to cap it all a free car

sport, British to select (a player) for a representative teamhe was capped 30 times by Scotland

to seal off (an oil or gas well)

to impose an upper limit on the level of increase of (a tax, such as the council tax)rate-capping

hunting to ask (hunt followers) for a cap

mainly Scot and NZ to award a degree to

Derived Formscapper, noun

Word Origin for cap

Old English cæppe, from Late Latin cappa hood, perhaps from Latin caput head

CAP

abbreviation for

Common Agricultural Policy: (in the EU) the system for supporting farm incomes by maintaining agricultural prices at agreed levels

cap.

abbreviation for

capital

capitalize

capitalization

capital letter

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

Word Origin and History for cap

cap

late Old English cæppe "hood, head-covering, cape," from Late Latin cappa "a cape, hooded cloak" (source of Spanish capa, Old North French cape, French chape), possibly a shortened from capitulare "headdress," from Latin caput "head" (see head (n.)).

Meaning "women's head covering" is early 13c. in English; extended to men late 14c. Figurative thinking cap is from 1839 (considering cap is 1650s). Of cap-like coverings on the ends of anything (e.g. hub-cap) from mid-15c. Meaning "contraceptive device" is first recorded 1916. That of "cap-shaped piece of copper lined with gunpowder and used to ignite a firearm" is c.1826; extended to paper version used in toy pistols, 1872 (cap-pistol is from 1879).

The Late Latin word apparently originally meant "a woman's head-covering," but the sense was transferred to "hood of a cloak," then to "cloak" itself, though the various senses co-existed. Old English took in two forms of the Late Latin word, one meaning "head-covering," the other "ecclesiastical dress" (see cape (n.1)). In most Romance languages, a diminutive of Late Latin cappa has become the usual word for "head-covering" (e.g. French chapeau).

cap

c.1400, "to put a cap on," from cap (n.). Meaning "cover as with s cap" is from c.1600. Figurative sense of "go one better" is from 1580s. Related: Capped; capping.

Medicine definitions for cap

cap

[ kăp ]

n.

A protective cover or seal, especially one that closes off an end or a tip and that resembles a close-fitting head covering.

CAP

abbr.

catabolite gene activator protein

Idioms and Phrases with cap

cap

In addition to the idioms beginning with cap

cap and gown
cap in hand
cap it all

also see:

feather in one's cap
hat (cap) in hand
if the shoe (cap) fits, wear it
put on one's thinking cap
set one's cap for

Also see underhat.

cap

noun

verb (used with object), capped, cap·ping.

verb (used without object), capped, cap·ping.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of cap

cap

noun

verb (used with object), capped, cap·ping.

Origin of cap

cap

noun Slang.

Origin of cap

CAP

cap.

Origin of cap.

cap.

Origin of cap.

cap.

Weinberger

noun

Examples from the Web for cap

cap

noun

verb caps, capping or capped (tr)

Word Origin for cap

CAP

abbreviation for

cap.

abbreviation for

cap

cap

cap

n.

CAP

abbr.

cap