capture

[kap-cher]

verb (used with object)

captured, capturing 

1. to take by force or stratagem; take prisoner; seize.

   The police captured the burglar.

   Synonyms: nab, grab, apprehend, snare, arrest, catch
   Antonyms: release

2. to gain control of or exert influence over.

   an ad that captured our attention;

   a TV show that captured 30% of the prime-time audience.

3. to take possession of, as in a game or contest.

   to capture a pawn in chess.

4. to represent or record in lasting form.

   The movie succeeded in capturing the atmosphere of Berlin in the 1930s.

5. Computers.

   1. to enter (data) into a computer for processing or storage.

   2. to record (data) in preparation for such entry.

noun

1. the act of capturing.

   Synonyms: apprehension, arrest, seizure
   Antonyms: release

2. the thing or person captured.

3. Physics.,  the process in which an atomic or nuclear system acquires an additional particle.

4. Crystallography.,  substitution in a crystal lattice of a trace element for an element of lower valence.

capture

/ ˈkæptʃə /

verb

1. to take prisoner or gain control over

   to capture an enemy

   to capture a town

2. (in a game or contest) to win control or possession of

   to capture a pawn in chess

3. to succeed in representing or describing (something elusive)

   the artist captured her likeness

4. physics (of an atom, molecule, ion, or nucleus) to acquire (an additional particle)

5. to insert or transfer (data) into a computer

noun

1. the act of taking by force; seizure

2. the person or thing captured; booty

3. physics a process by which an atom, molecule, ion, or nucleus acquires an additional particle

4. Also called: piracy. geography the process by which the headwaters of one river are diverted into another through erosion caused by the second river's tributaries

5. the act or process of inserting or transferring data into a computer

Other Word Forms

• capturable adjective
• capturer noun
• precapture adjective
• uncapturable adjective
• uncaptured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of capture¹

First recorded in 1535–45; from Middle French, from Latin captūra, equivalent to capt(us) “taken” (past participle of capere “to take”) + -ūra -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of capture¹

C16: from Latin captūra a catching, that which is caught, from capere to take

Example Sentences

No GoPro or camera can capture the vastness of the ocean for someone back on shore.

From Los Angeles Times

CGI, motion capture and visual effects have enriched stories, creating worlds that could never otherwise exist.

From Los Angeles Times

A 1971 law declared wild horses and burros “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West,” and made it illegal to harass, capture or kill them on public lands.

From Los Angeles Times

Macron, who has been in office since 2017, was captured on video walking alone by the River Seine in Paris on Monday, followed by his bodyguards, as the latest crisis swirled around his presidency.

From BBC

It captures the star as she falls in love with American Footballer Travis Kelce; interspersed with cautionary - and sometimes catty - tales about the music industry.

From BBC

Related Words

• apprehend 
• arrest 
• catch 
• conquer 
• grab 
• occupy 
• pick up 
• round up 
• secure 
• seize 
• snatch 
• take 
• trap