caper
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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capers,
present (3rd person singular)
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capered,
past participle, past
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capering
present participle
noun
idioms
noun
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a spiny shrub, Capparis spinosa, of Mediterranean regions, having roundish leaves and solitary white flowers.
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its flower bud, which is pickled and used for garnish or seasoning.
noun
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a playful skip or leap
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a high-spirited escapade
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-
to skip or jump playfully
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to act or behave playfully; frolic
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slang a crime, esp an organized robbery
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informal a job or occupation
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informal a person's behaviour
verb
noun
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a spiny trailing Mediterranean capparidaceous shrub, Capparis spinosa, with edible flower buds
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any of various similar plants or their edible parts See also bean caper capers
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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capersimple
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caperssimple
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have caperedperfect
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has caperedperfect
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am caperingprogressive
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are caperingprogressive
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is caperingprogressive
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have been caperingperfect progressive
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has been caperingperfect progressive
Past
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caperedsimple
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had caperedperfect
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was caperingprogressive
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were caperingprogressive
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had been caperingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of caper1
First recorded in 1585–95; probably shortening and alteration of capriole ( def. )
Origin of caper2
1350–1400; back formation from capers (taken for plural), Middle English caperes < Latin capparis < Greek kápparis
Explanation
A goofy little joke or prank, a crime, or a ridiculous adventure is called a caper. For example, your quest for an American newspaper turned into a caper that took you all over the Irish countryside. Caper originates from the Italian word capriolare, meaning “jump in the air,” and indeed, one meaning is "frolicking play or light-hearted dancing." Little kids like to caper at family parties — it gets them tons of attention. Other kinds of capers might get you jail time because a caper can also be an outlandish crime spree, or a wild activity. Finally, capers are the very flavorful pickled flower bud found in Mediterranean cooking.
Vocabulary lists containing caper
Animal Farm
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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
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Twelfth Night
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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.
See Examples For:
Given how chips and AI have been entwined with national security in recent years, it perhaps is no surprise that Nvidia’s chief executive is caught up in a spy caper.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
This week, we learned about a presidential caper.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
A clawed caper at the Santa Monica Pier went awry despite “sophisticated” attempts by suspects to get away with poaching roughly three dozen spiny lobsters, authorities said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
His depiction of sordid behavior—like his rich portrait of Mumbai—adds the required texture to this frothy caper.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Sometimes his happiness was so overflowing that he couldn’t hold it and he’d cut a dance caper to spill some of it out.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
I’ll add some capers or a pickle or two, then you have a sandwich for the rest of the day or into the next morning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
His celebrations will have to wait for now, but by Tuesday, Ward could well be getting up to all sorts of capers in Glasgow with his Scotland team-mates.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Wild king salmon topped with tomatoes, olives and capers was accessorized with a puff pastry in the shape of a cartoon fish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
I had the kombu-cured Japanese hamachi with navel orange, capers, chili, and kohlrabi—bright, balanced, and just a little spicy.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026
You can’t help but laugh at de capers they cuts.
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
"We don't have the means to pay for her studies," she explained from their home's back courtyard, where young children capered about and two rams watched from an enclosure.
From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026
Her two dogs, Emma and Bubba, capered into Speier’s sunny living and dining room, lightening the mood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 2, 2023
Clay, the new champion, capered along the ring apron, shouting at the press: “Eat your words! I shook up the world! I’m king of the world!”
From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2016
Addie, a lefty who mastered the monkey bars at two, capered about like a leprechaun, indifferent to the fate of her swooping forehands.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 18, 2016
He capered around in his stall, his black wings buffeting the air.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
There’s a scene in “Don’t Worry Darling” where Harry Styles, playing a character named Jack, is shown onstage at a large raucous gathering, spinning and capering before the crowd in a frenzied solo dance.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 19, 2022
This ensemble piece, a communal chorus of witnessing, had a capering quality in the theater as it summoned Till back to life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2020
He has described Flavor, with his comic-strip grin and giant clock medallion, as “a visual character with audio bonuses”: the capering hypeman in a band otherwise defined by stony-faced gravitas.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 6, 2020
By the time you read this, who knows what weirdness will have snapped loose and gone capering through the news cycle.
From New York Times ● Oct. 26, 2018
She thought of her weary capering legs and how nice it would be to rest them.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
