captain
[kap-tuh n, -tin]
- a person who is at the head of or in authority over others; chief; leader.
- an officer ranking in most armies above a first lieutenant and below a major.
- an officer in the U.S. Navy ranking above a commander and below a rear admiral or a commodore.
- a military leader.
- an officer in the police department, ranking above a lieutenant and usually below an inspector.
- an officer of the fire department, usually in command of a company, ranking above a lieutenant and below a chief or assistant chief.
- the commander of a merchant vessel.Compare staff captain.
- the pilot of an airplane.
- a local official in a political party responsible for organizing votes on a ward or precinct level.
- Sports. the field leader of a team: The captain of the home team elected to receive on the kickoff.
- a person of great power and influence, especially based on economic wealth.
- headwaiter.
- bell captain.
- South Midland and Southern U.S. an unofficial title of respect for a man (sometimes used humorously or ironically).
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- to lead or command as a captain.
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Origin of captain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
executivebosscommanderdirectoroperatorofficerownerpilotleaderskipperheadexecskiptopcapauthorityguideroyaltymastermistressExamples from the Web for captain
Contemporary Examples
He flew with Captain Irianto, 53, who had 20,000 hours experience, more than 6,000 hours on the A320.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501Clive Irving
January 6, 2015
My captain on the boat, Brazakka, he wanted me to do this Hemingway bit, with the white stubble, and he wanted the hero angle.
My nickname was Captain, though I was a private, first class.
They castigated the captain, a 48-year-old Indonesian, and his rookie copilot, a 24-year-old Indian.
Same goes for the comic book character “Captain America,” which Marvel announced in July would be now be portrayed as a black man.
Historical Examples
I have seen the letter; it is in Captain Rushton's handwriting.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
"Then I can only say that Captain Rushton was a party to the fraud," he said.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
After the captain left him, he struggled hard to unloose the cords which bound him.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
"You look like a good seaman," said the captain, addressing Bates.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
"Captain Haley knows very well the falsehood of what he says," said our hero, calmly.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
captain
- the person in charge of and responsible for a vessel
- an officer of the navy who holds a rank junior to a rear admiral but senior to a commander
- an officer of the army, certain air forces, and the marine corps who holds a rank junior to a major but senior to a lieutenant
- the officer in command of a civil aircraft, usually the senior pilot
- the leader of a team in games
- a person in command over a group, organization, etc; leadera captain of industry
- US a police officer in charge of a precinct
- US and Canadian (formerly) a head waiter
- Also called: bell captain US and Canadian a supervisor of bellboys in a hotel
- Australian informal a person who is buying drinks for people in a bar
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- (tr) to be captain of
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Word Origin
C14: from Old French capitaine, from Late Latin capitāneus chief, from Latin caput head
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 captain
n.
late 14c., capitayn, "a leader, chief, one who stands at the head of others," from Old French capitaine "captain, leader," from Late Latin capitaneus "chief," noun use of adjective capitaneus "prominent, chief," from Latin caput (genitive capitis) "head" (see capitulum).
Military sense of "officer who commands a company" (rank between major and lieutenant) is from 1560s; naval sense of "officer who commands a man-of-war" is from 1550s, extended to "master or commander of a vessel of any kind" by 1704. Sporting sense is first recorded 1823.
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v.
1590s, from captain (n.). Related: Captained; captaining.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper