whitecap

[ hwahyt-kap, wahyt- ]

noun

1. a wave with a broken and foaming white crest.

whitecap

/ ˈwaɪtˌkæp /

noun

1. a wave with a white broken crest
2. a member of a vigilante organization that attempts to control a community

Word History and Origins

Origin of whitecap¹

First recorded in 1660–70; white + cap ¹

Example Sentences

It’s a little breezy, but besides a few whitecaps, you hardly notice the sailing conditions.

From Seattle Times

But as quickly as the national craziness over aerial phenomena began, the military packed up and went home, leaving the answers encased in Arctic ice and under the whitecaps of Lake Huron.

From New York Times

Looking out the window, Ralph said he had briefly seen through holes in the clouds, which revealed what looked like whitecaps rolling on the stormy ocean.

From Los Angeles Times

One national pollster has called these under-polled Trump supporters “submerged voters,” and the term seems apt, given how much can occur underneath the whitecaps of a roiling political seascape.

From Washington Post

Along the Battery area at the southern tip of the 350-year-old city’s peninsula, locals and tourists alike took selfies against the choppy backdrop of whitecaps in Charleston Harbor as palm trees bent in gusty wind.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• crest
• flood
• influx
• movement
• outbreak
• rash
• rush
• sign
• stream
• surge
• swell
• tide
• upsurge