captor

[ kap-ter ]

noun

1. a person who has captured a person or thing.

captor

/ ˈkæptə /

noun

1. a person or animal that holds another captive

Word History and Origins

Origin of captor¹

1640–50; < Late Latin, equivalent to cap ( ere ) to take + -tor -tor

Word History and Origins

Origin of captor¹

C17: from Latin, from capere to take

Example Sentences

"A captor attempts to feed his prisoner to a monster, and there are other scenes of threat involving bombs, hostages and a hero being frozen alive."

From BBC

By the time Sister Barnes accuses her captor of touting a magic trick as a miracle and Sister Paxton discovers the caged women, the film reveals its own deception.

From Los Angeles Times

Half a year after Oleksii’s rescue, his Russian captor was being lauded at home.

From BBC

Hersh was an unarmed civilian, attending a music festival, when he was taken hostage and later executed by his captors.

From Los Angeles Times

In December 2023, the Israeli military expressed "deep remorse" after soldiers mistakenly killed three hostages in northern Gaza who had escaped from their captors.

From BBC

Related Words

• detainer
• holder
• impounder
• imprisoner
• incarcerator
• jailer