capture

[ kap-cher ]

/ ˈkæp tʃər /

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See synonyms for: capture / captured / captures / capturing on Thesaurus.com

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR capture

1 catch, arrest, snare, apprehend, grab, nab.

6 seizure, arrest, apprehension.

See synonyms for capture on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR capture

1, 6 release.

See antonyms for capture on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of capture

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

OTHER WORDS FROM capture

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. 2023

How to use capture in a sentence

The more the regulation, the greater the opportunities for capture.
Why do attempts at reforming capitalism fail?|jakemeth|October 10, 2020|Fortune
Google says the Camera app, too, should also make it obvious when a filter has been enabled — both in the real-time capture and afterwards.
Google takes aim at ‘beauty filters’ with design changes coming to Pixel phones|Sarah Perez|October 1, 2020|TechCrunch
The unit also functions as a handy 410-CFM leaf-vacuum and shredder, and includes a capture bag to help make cleanup faster.
Leaf blowers that help you fight fallen foliage|PopSci Commerce Team|September 25, 2020|Popular-Science
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage will be critical for China—and the world—to meet current net zero emissions targets, the International Energy Agency said Thursday.
To meet net zero emissions targets, China—and the rest of the world—needs these technologies|kdunn6|September 24, 2020|Fortune

In cutting a video down to the most important or compelling 10 to 20 seconds of content, marketers can quickly grab attention and drive viewers to take the desired action, whether it be an email capture, social media follow, a share, or a sale.
Making the most of small-screen content for big engagement impact|Sponsored Content: Cloudinary|September 24, 2020|Search Engine Land
But the corpse was the bailiff's property, till his claim was paid, and nought but the money would soften the iron capturer.
The Wits and Beaux of Society|Grace & Philip Wharton
She feared that her capturer might take a fancy for roast fowl if he should see them.
Fairy Tales from the German Forests|Margaret Arndt
My capturer was a boy, and as remarkable a specimen of a boy as it has ever been my lot to meet during the whole of my career.
The Adventures of a Three-Guinea Watch|Talbot Baines Reed
In the Welsh legends the maid consents to wed her capturer, and remain with him until he strikes her with iron.
Welsh Folk-Lore|Elias Owen
Search a patriot, a capturer of the tyrants' den, a man who has been exterminating aristocrats?
The Countess of Charny|Alexandre Dumas (pere)

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 forms of capture

capturer, 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

capture

OTHER WORDS FOR capture

OPPOSITES FOR capture

Origin of capture

OTHER WORDS FROM capture

Words related to capture

How to use capture in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for capture

Derived forms of capture

Word Origin for capture