Etymology Inherited from Middle English cappe, from Old English cæppe, from Proto-West Germanic *kappā (“covering, hood, mantle”), from Late Latin cappa, itself from Latin caput. Doublet of cape, chape, and cope.
The children were all wearing caps to protect them from the sun.
That elf-maiden smote with her hand so white, “Sorrow and sickness on thee alight” That elf-maiden smote with her cap so small, “No more shall priest's benison on thee fall!”1847 September 11, William J. Thoms, “The Folk-lore of Shakespeare”, in The Athenaeum, London, page 958, column 1:
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A special hat to indicate rank, occupation, etc.
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An academic mortarboard.
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A protective cover or seal.
He took the cap off the bottle and splashed himself with some cologne.
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A crown for covering a tooth.
He had golden caps on his teeth.
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The summit of a mountain, etc.
There was snow on the cap of the mountain.
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An artificial upper limit or ceiling.
We should put a cap on the salaries, to keep them under control.
The G7 countries have agreed to impose a price cap on Russian oil in an attempt to stem the flow of funds into the Kremlin’s war coffers. […] The level of the cap is still being discussed.2022 September 2, Alex Lawson, “G7 countries agree plan to impose price cap on Russian oil”, in The Guardian:
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The top part of a mushroom.
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A small amount of percussive explosive in a paper strip or plastic cup for use in a toy gun.
Billy spent all morning firing caps with his friends, re-enacting storming the beach at Normandy.
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A small explosive device used to detonate a larger charge of explosives.
He wired the cap to the bundle of dynamite, then detonated it remotely.
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A place on a national team; an international appearance.
Rio Ferdinand won his 50th cap for England in a game against Sweden.
"By the way, are you by any chance the Malone who is expected to get his Rugby cap for Ireland?" "A reserve, perhaps."1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
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Overall, though, England’s injury-diminished side coped well on the night when Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jordan Pickford and Tammy Abraham all won their first caps.2017 November 10, Daniel Taylor, “Youthful England earn draw with Germany but Lingard rues late miss”, in The Guardian (London):
Thou art the Cap / Of all the Fooles aliue.c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], page 93, column 2:
He that will give a cap and make a leg, in thanks for a favour he never received, deserveth rather to be blamed for want of wit, than to be praised for store of manners.1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church History of Britain, from the Birth of Jesus Christ until the Year MDCXLVIII, volume 1, London: Thomas Tegg and Son, published 1837, page 9:
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Biology, Natural sciences, Zoology The whole top of the head of a bird from the base of the bill to the nape of the neck.
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Architecture The uppermost of any assemblage of parts.
the cap of a column, door, etc.; a capital, coping, cornice, lintel, or plate
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Something covering the top or end of a thing for protection or ornament.
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Nautical, Transport A collar of iron or wood used in joining spars, as the mast and the topmast, the bowsprit and the jib boom; also, a covering of tarred canvas at the end of a rope.
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Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences A portion of a spherical or other convex surface.
Etymology Inherited from Middle English cappe, from Old English cæppe, from Proto-West Germanic *kappā (“covering, hood, mantle”), from Late Latin cappa, itself from Latin caput. Doublet of cape, chape, and cope.
It recalls the business case for Scotland's reopening of the Borders Railway to Tweedbank, that British Rail closed in 1969. The review says the business case for this was at best borderline, but goes on to say that the case greatly underestimated passenger demand and that the railway Scotland built has capped its capacity.2023 September 6, Philip Haigh, “£30 billion plan to transform the rail network in Ireland”, in RAIL, number 991, page 25:
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Figuratively To conclude; to make something even more wonderful at the end.
That really capped my day.
Ms. Yaccarino’s exit caps a tumultuous period at X, which was previously called Twitter and has been remade in Mr. Musk’s image since he bought the platform for $44 billion in 2022.2025 July 9, Mike Isaac, Kate Conger, “X CEO Linda Yaccarino Says She Is Leaving Elon Musk’s Platform”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
"How? Didn’t I cap for you, an’ square you with the examinin’ board? Didn’t I stake you to the three hundred dollars?"1906, Alfred Henry Lewis, “Confessions of a Detective”, in Confessions of a Detective, New York: A.S. Barnes & Company, page 36:
It’s over for you capping-ass rappers—get out the game / You can fool the record labels, but not the streets, man2003, Antwan Patton et al., “Tomb of the Boom”, in Speakerboxxx, performed by OutKast:
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Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To select to play for the national team.
Peter Shilton is the most capped English footballer.
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Obsolete To salute by uncovering the head respectfully.
Tom never miſsed a lecture, and capped the proctor with the profoundeſt of bows.1852, William Makepeace Thackeray, “I Go to Cambridge, and Do But Little Good There”, in The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. […] , volume I, London: […] Smith, Elder, & Company, […], →OCLC, page 231:
Indeed, as the astonished small boys "capped" him on his way to nine o'clock "absence," he wore an expression of delight bordering on playfulness, which, coming from one of such firm and commanding features, was immensely striking.1909, William Hill Tucker, Eton Memories, page 128:
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To deprive of a cap.
As if one going to diſtrain upon his own Land or Tenement, where lawfully he may; yet if in doing thereof, he tranſgreſs the leaſt Point of the Common Law, he ſtraight committeth Felony. Or if one, by any other Occaſion, take any thing from another, as Boys uſe ſometimes to cap one another, the ſame is ſtraight Felony.1596, Edmund Spenser, A View of the State of Ireland as It Was in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, Dublin: Laurence Flin, published 1763, page 50:
I had to replace the caps in that thing to get it to work again.
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Abbreviation, Clipping, Colloquial Clipping of capture; a recording or screenshot.
Anyone have a cap of the games last night?
If you have a cap of Gabby's bare butt from the "forget me not" episode please post or mail it...1998 September 26, Mr Hanky [username] <meister_hanky@hotmail.com>, “req: does anyone have a cap of Gabby's behind from "Forget Me Not"”, in alt.tv.xena (Usenet), retrieved 07 Aug 2016:
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Here's a cap of Jennifer from her latest Letterman appearance […]1998 April 27, Johan [username], “Jennifer on Letterman”, in alt.fan.jen-aniston (Usenet), retrieved 07 Aug 2016:
Please be assured that when I do get around to capping the Brits, there will NOT be one single cap of that slutty bitch, her whorishness has dropped to even lower levels than before.2000 March 4, RichieH [username], “Please somebody get a cap of Faye from steps at the Brits!!!!!!!!”, in alt.tv.shaggable.babes (Usenet):
Glass bottles of liquid LSD; moist blocks of Manali charras and Malana cream; sachets of smack; a hundred caps of MDMA and a phial of Australian DMT; ampoules of medical morphine and a dense pad of four thousand Californian blotters.2012, Alex Wyndham Baker, Cursive:
To take a screenshot or to record a copy of a video.
I've capped in VCD format, so will eventually post it to abme (I've since found out that it's a bit OT for this group)2001 December 3, Methos [username], alt.fan.televisionx (Usenet):
Please tell me someone capped it!!!!2002 June 11, test . com Ground Hog [username], alt.luser.recovery (Usenet):
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If I had a method of capping from video tapes there's a movie that I can no longer remember the name of which has a single scene with Racquel and Derrick as a newly married couple having sex under the lustful eyes of Joey Silvera.2003 February 18, jacuk [username], alt.fan.pornstar.darrian (Usenet):
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Video games To capture an objective, such as a flag or checkpoint.
Call your friends and bring a gun / The Halo revolution's on / Capping flags and arming bombs / Yes, we don't blink until we're done2007 November 20, Greg Haupt, “LvUrFR3NZ”, in Halo 3 Original Soundtrack, performed by Princeton, Sumthing Else Music Works:
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Video games To capitulate (cause to capitulate) an opponent.
Etymology From Scots cap, an alteration of earlier cop, from Middle English cop, from Old English copp (“a cup, vessel”), from Proto-West Germanic *kopp, from Proto-Germanic *kuppaz.