capture

[ kap-cher ]

/ ˈkæp tʃər /

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verb (used with object), cap·tured, cap·tur·ing.

to take by force or stratagem; take prisoner; seize: The police captured the burglar.

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.

to take possession of, as in a game or contest: to capture a pawn in chess.

to represent or record in lasting form: The movie succeeded in capturing the atmosphere of Berlin in the 1930s.

Computers.

to enter (data) into a computer for processing or storage.
to record (data) in preparation for such entry.

noun

the act of capturing.

the thing or person captured.

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

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

Nearby words

Origin of capture

1535–45; < Middle French < Latin captūra, equivalent to capt(us) taken (past participle of capere to take) + -ūra -ure

SYNONYMS FOR capture

1. catch, arrest, snare, apprehend, grab, nab. 6. seizure, arrest, apprehension.

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ANTONYMS FOR capture

1, 6. release.

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Related forms

cap·tur·a·ble, adjectivecap·tur·er, nounpre·cap·ture, adjective, verb (used with object), pre·cap·tured, pre·cap·tur·ing.un·cap·tur·a·ble, adjective

un·cap·tured, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for capture

Nor does the jet have the ability to capture high-definition video, utilize an infra-red pointer.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Thankfully, someone was there to capture this “jit going ham,” as the cameraman put it.
Slow Motion Tiger Jump, a Tornado at the Rose Bowl and More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Family members say he developed also liver cancer after his capture.
Final Chapter for Accused Africa Bomber|Jamie Dettmer|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Next to the house is the site where Ziad began building a home for his family before his capture.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Morales made his way to Mexico, where an effort to capture him led to a shootout, which ended with a local cop being killed.
Cuba Protects America’s Most Wanted|Michael Daly|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The only excitement that the St. Paul had was the capture of the collier Restormel.
The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 2, No. 23, June 9, 1898|Various
He was like a hunter following his prey, like an angler fishing, he cared only for the chase, for the capture.
Possessed|Cleveland Moffett
Throughout the movement this man has exhibited daring and intelligence, and his capture is much desired.
The Insurrection in Paris|An Englishman: Davy
Then, seeing that this would not stand as a bare statement, he explained briefly their method of capture.
The Shadow Passes|Roy J. Snell
He instantly ceased playing, and, with eager exultation, advanced to capture him.
Phil the Fiddler|Horatio Alger, Jr.

British Dictionary definitions for capture

capture

/ (ˈkæptʃə) /

verb (tr)

to take prisoner or gain control overto capture an enemy; to capture a town

(in a game or contest) to win control or possession ofto capture a pawn in chess

to succeed in representing or describing (something elusive)the artist captured her likeness

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

to insert or transfer (data) into a computer

noun

the act of taking by force; seizure

the person or thing captured; booty

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

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

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

Derived Formscapturer, noun

Word Origin for capture

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

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 capture

capture

1540s, from Middle French capture "a taking," from Latin captura "a taking" (especially of animals), from captus (see captive).

capture

1795, from capture (n.); in chess, checkers, etc., 1820. Related: Captured; capturing. Earlier verb in this sense was captive (early 15c.).

Medicine definitions for capture

capture

[ kăp′chər ]

n.

The act of catching, taking, or holding a particle or impulse.

capture

verb (used with object), cap·tured, cap·tur·ing.

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of capture

Examples from the Web for capture

capture

verb (tr)

noun

Word Origin for capture

capture

capture

capture

n.