captain
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈkæp.tɪn/
ipa: /ˈkæp.tən/
ipa: /ˈkæp.tən/
ipa: /ˈkæp.ən/
topics: naval
navy
military
war
government
politics
ipa: [ˈkæpn̩]
topics: naval
navy
military
war
government
politics
ipa: [ˈkæpm̩]
topics: naval
navy
military
war
government
politics
rhymes: (US, General Australian) -æptən
Forms: form: captains
Etymology: From Middle English capitain, capteyn, from Old French capitaine, from Late Latin capitāneus, from Latin caput (“head”) (English cap). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap-.
Doublet of chieftain, also from Old French.
Senses: examples: text: For out of the shal come a captaine, whych shall govern my people israhel.
ref: 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew ij:
text: Stand up-stand up, Northumberland! / I bid you answer true, / If England's King has under his hand / A Captain as good as you?
ref: 1929, Rudyard Kipling, The English Way:
glosses: A chief or leader.
examples: text: Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, […] naval officers of all countries, and the Governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter.
ref: 1873, Jules Verne, chapter I, in [anonymous], transl., Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas; […], James R. Osgood edition, Boston, Mass.: Geo[rge] M[urray] Smith & Co., →OCLC, part I, page 3:
text: The captain is the last man to leave a sinking ship.
glosses: The person lawfully in command of a ship or other vessel.
examples: text: "A fine man, that Dunwody, yonder," commented the young captain, as they parted, and as he turned to his prisoner. "We'll see him on in Washington some day. He is strengthening his forces now against Mr. Benton out there.[…]."
ref: 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
glosses: An army officer with a rank between the most senior grade of lieutenant and major.
glosses: A naval officer with a rank between commander and commodore.
glosses: A commissioned officer in the United States Navy, Coast Guard, NOAA Corps, or PHS Corps of a grade superior to a commander and junior to a rear admiral (lower half). A captain is equal in grade or rank to a United States Army, Marine Corps, or Air Force colonel.
examples: text: Captain's supposed to be the leader, right?
ref: 2000, Gregory Allen Howard, Remember the Titans:
text: As Di Matteo celebrated and captain John Terry raised the trophy for the fourth time, the Italian increased his claims to become the permanent successor to Andre Villas-Boas by landing a trophy.
ref: 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:
glosses: One of the athletes on a sports team who is designated to make decisions, and is allowed to speak for his team with a referee or official.
examples: text: John Henry said to the captain, "A man ain't nothing but a man."
text: The assistant mine captains then reported to the mine captain in charge of all underground operations and subordinate only to the superintendent himself.
ref: 1990, Marshall C. Eakin, A British Enterprise in Brazil:
glosses: The leader of a group of workers.
glosses: The head boy of a school.
examples: 1977, Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey, lyricists, "Hotel California",
So I called up the Captain, "Please bring me my wine." / He said: "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969."
glosses: A maître d', a headwaiter.
glosses: An honorific title given to a prominent person. See colonel.
Synonyms: sense: leader of a group of workers
word: supervisor
sense: leader of a group of workers
word: straw boss
sense: leader of a group of workers
word: foreman
sense: commander of a vessel
word: skipper
sense: commander of a vessel
word: master
sense: pilot in command
word: pilot
sense: pilot in command
word: pilot in command
sense: military rank
word: CAPT
sense: military rank
word: Capt.
sense: military rank
word: Capt
sense: military rank
word: CPT
Derived terms: barangay captain
bell captain
block captain
bus captain
Captain America
captain ball
captaincy
captainess
captain-general
captain general
captainish
captainless
captainlike
captainly
captain of industry
captain of sea and war
captain of the fleet
captain regent
captain save a hoe
Captains Flat
captainship
captain's servant
cocaptain
copper captain
corvette captain
country captain
cruiser captain
donatary captain
flag captain
fleet captain
flotilla captain
frigate captain
group captain
led captain
police captain
post captain
post-captain
road captain
school captain
sea captain
senior captain
senior ship of the line captain
senior ship-of-the-line captain
ship-of-the-line captain
ship of the line captain
staff captain
subcaptain
the captain goes down with the ship
train captain
undercaptain
vice-captain