captain
/ˈkæp.tən/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.89 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The person lawfully in command of a ship or other vessel.
noun
An army officer with a rank between the most senior grade of lieutenant and major.
noun
A naval officer with a rank between commander and commodore.
noun
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.
noun
A rank qualifying an airline pilot to act as pilot in command of a two-pilot flight crew.
Example Sentences
- "For out of the shal come a captaine, whych shall govern my people israhel."
- "Stand up-stand up, Northumberland! / I bid you answer true, / If England's King has under his hand / A Captain as good as you?"
- "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."
- "The captain is the last man to leave a sinking ship."
- ""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.[…].""
- "Captain's supposed to be the leader, right?"
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkæp.tən/
- British English: /ˈkæp.tɪn/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Military.
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
Phrases
barangay captain
bell captain
block captain
bus captain
Captain America
captain ball
captain-general
captain general