cap

¹

[ kap ]

noun

1. a close-fitting covering for the head, usually of soft supple material and having no visor or brim.
2. a brimless head covering with a visor, such as a baseball cap.
3. a head covering that denotes rank, occupation, religious order, or the like:

   a nurse's cap.

4. mortarboard ( def 2 ).
5. anything that resembles or suggests a covering for the head in shape, use, or position:

   Please replace the cap on the toothpaste tube when finished using it.

6. a mobcap.
7. a maximum limit, such as one that is set by law or agreement on prices, wages, spending, etc., during a certain period of time; ceiling:

   We've had to set a 3 percent cap on pay increases for this year.

8. summit; top; apex; acme.
9. Mycology. the pileus, or horizontal portion, of a mushroom.
10. Botany. calyptra ( def 1 ).
11. Mathematics. the symbol ∩, used to indicate the intersection of two sets. Compare intersection ( def 3a ).
12. Mining. a short, horizontal beam at the top of a prop for supporting part of a roof.
13. a percussion cap.
14. a noise-making device for toy pistols that is made of a small quantity of explosive wrapped in paper or other thin material.
15. Chiefly British Sports. an instance of playing in an international game or match as part of a national team:

    The 17-year-old has already got her first cap for Wales.

16. Slang. lying talk; exaggeration:

    No way did you get two grand for that old wreck of a car—that’s cap.

    I see movie stars in this bar all the time, no cap.

17. Chiefly British Slang. a contraceptive diaphragm.
18. Nautical. a fitting of metal placed over the head of a spar, as a mast or bowsprit, and having a collar for securing an additional spar.
19. a new tread that is applied to a worn tire.
20. Architecture. capital ²( def ).
21. Carpentry. a metal plate placed over the iron of a plane to break the shavings as they rise.
22. Fox Hunting. capping fee ( def ).

verb (used with object)

, capped, cap·ping.

1. to close or cover with or as if with a cap:

   Cap the jug of bleach tightly after each use.

2. to complete (often used with off ):

   We capped our dinner with a shared slice of chocolate cake.

   A talent night involving all the campers capped off the week.

3. follow up with something as good or better; surpass; outdo:

   to cap one joke with another.

4. to serve as a cap, covering, or top to; overlie:

   Snow capped the distant peaks.

5. to put a maximum limit on (prices, wages, spending, etc.):

   We’ve capped the contractor’s hours at 75 per month.

6. Chiefly British Sports. (of a national team) to play (a chosen player) in an international game or match (used in the passive):

   He has been capped for Brazil.

   She was capped by England twice.

verb (used without object)

, capped, cap·ping.

1. Slang. to lie or exaggerate:

   Don't cap—no way that's your car.

2. Chiefly British Sports. to play in an international game or match as part of a national team:

   She capped for England twice.

3. Fox Hunting. to hunt with a hunting club of which one is not a member, on payment of a capping fee.

cap.

²

abbreviation for

1. (in prescriptions) let the patient take.

cap

³

[ kap ]

noun

1. a capital letter.
2. Usually caps. uppercase:

   Please set the underlined in caps.

verb (used with object)

, capped, cap·ping.

1. to write or print in capital letters, or make an initial letter a capital; capitalize.

cap.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. chapter.

cap

⁵

[ kap ]

noun

, Slang.

1. a capsule, especially of a narcotic drug.

cap.

⁶

abbreviation for

1. capacity.
2. capital.
3. capitalize.
4. capitalized.
5. capital letter.
6. foolscap.

CAP

⁷

abbreviation for

1. Civil Air Patrol def.
2. Common Agricultural Policy: a coordinated system established in 1960 by the European Economic Community for stabilizing prices of farm products of its member countries.
3. computer-aided publishing.
4. Stock Exchange. convertible adjustable preferred (stock).

cap.

¹

abbreviation for

1. capital
2. capitalize
3. capitalization
4. capital letter

cap

²

/ kæp /

noun

1. a covering for the head, esp a small close-fitting one made of cloth or knitted
2. such a covering serving to identify the wearer's rank, occupation, etc

   a nurse's cap

3. something that protects or covers, esp a small lid or cover

   lens cap

4. an uppermost surface or part

   the cap of a wave

5. 1. See percussion cap
   2. a small amount of explosive enclosed in paper and used in a toy gun
6. sport
   1. an emblematic hat or beret given to someone chosen for a representative team

      he has won three England caps

   2. a player chosen for such a team
7. the upper part of a pedestal in a classical order
8. the roof of a windmill, sometimes in the form of a dome
9. botany the pileus of a mushroom or toadstool
10. hunting
    1. money contributed to the funds of a hunt by a follower who is neither a subscriber nor a farmer, in return for a day's hunting
    2. a collection taken at a meet of hounds, esp for a charity
11. anatomy
    1. the natural enamel covering a tooth
    2. an artificial protective covering for a tooth
12. See Dutch cap
13. an upper financial limit
14. a mortarboard when worn with a gown at an academic ceremony (esp in the phrase cap and gown )
15. meteorol
    1. the cloud covering the peak of a mountain
    2. the transient top of detached clouds above an increasing cumulus
16. cap in hand
    humbly, as when asking a favour
17. if the cap fits
    the allusion or criticism seems to be appropriate to a particular person
18. set one's cap for or set one's cap at
    (of a woman) to be determined to win as a husband or lover

verb

1. to cover, as with a cap

   snow capped the mountain tops

2. informal.
   to outdo; excel

   your story caps them all

   to cap an anecdote

3. to cap it all
   to provide the finishing touch

   we had sun, surf, cheap wine, and to cap it all a free car

4. sport to select (a player) for a representative team

   he was capped 30 times by Scotland

5. to seal off (an oil or gas well)
6. to impose an upper limit on the level of increase of (a tax, such as the council tax)

   rate-capping

7. hunting to ask (hunt followers) for a cap
8. to award a degree to

CAP

³

abbreviation for

1. Common Agricultural Policy: (in the EU) the system for supporting farm incomes by maintaining agricultural prices at agreed levels

Derived Forms

• ˈcapper, noun

Other Words From

• cap·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cap¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English cappe “headdress, hat, cap,” Old English cæppe “hood, cape, cope,” from Late Latin cappa “hooded cloak, cap”; cape ¹

Origin of cap²

From the Latin word capiat

Origin of cap³

First recorded in 1895–1900; by shortening

Origin of cap⁴

From Latin capitulum “small head, capital of a column, cross beam” or Latin caput “head, to, summit, person”

Origin of cap⁵

First recorded in 1940–45; by shortening of capsule

Word History and Origins

Origin of cap¹

Old English cæppe, from Late Latin cappa hood, perhaps from Latin caput head

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. cap in hand, humbly; in supplication:

   He went to his father cap in hand and begged his forgiveness.

2. set one's cap for,
   1. to pursue as a potential mate:

      He set his cap for the beautiful dancer.

   2. to have as a goal or destination:

      She had already set her cap for a career in politics.

      Setting his cap for the big city, he packed his things and left.

More idioms and phrases containing cap

• feather in one's cap
• hat (cap) in hand
• if the shoe (cap) fits, wear it
• put on one's thinking cap
• set one's cap for
• hat

Example Sentences

The cap proposed limiting new enrolments at 270,000 for 2025 - a significant cut on the number in 2024.

From BBC

A few hours before the auction began, the cryptocurrency — known online as a memecoin because of its volatile value — had a market cap of nearly $214 million.

From New York Times

Dressed in black jeans, a black leather jacket and a black ball cap, Smith orders a Casamigos neat at a West Hollywood hotel bar and divulges something “it took me my whole life to figure out,” as he puts it.

From Los Angeles Times

There was no surprise that the rate of inflation jumped again, reflecting the recent hike in the energy price cap.

From BBC

Gloucester lock Freddie Thomas is set to win his first cap from the replacements' bench, which includes wing Josh Hathaway, but Anscombe is not included in the squad.

From BBC

Related Words

• beret