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

The Tokyo that she showcases is one of quotidian everyday life, not the futuristic neon city that an outsider might capture.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Earlier this week, a TikTok that captured someone throwing frozen ribs onto the ground behind a restaurant — next to dumpsters and cleaning supplies — went viral.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Autochrome was the first technology that could capture the true colors of a subject.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Part exploration of his relationship with his father and part chronicle of the lessons he’s learned from running, Mr. Thompson captures the highs and lows of setting and pursuing difficult goals.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The volume, produced in collaboration with the artist’s daughter Paloma, takes inspiration from the 1932 show, pairing objects in a manner that leaps between decades, styles and media to capture the artist’s flitting energies.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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