captain

Also found in: Thesaurus, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

Related to captain: Military ranks

cap·tain

(kăp′tən)

1. One who commands, leads, or guides others, especially:

a. The officer in command of a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft.

b. A precinct commander in a police or fire department, usually ranking above a lieutenant and below a chief.

c. The designated leader of a team or crew in sports.

a. A commissioned rank in the US Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above first lieutenant and below major.

b. A commissioned rank in the US Navy or Coast Guard that is above commander and below rear admiral.

c. One who holds the rank of captain.

3. A figure in the forefront; a leader: a captain of industry.

4. One who supervises or directs the work of others, especially:

a. A district official for a political party.

b. A restaurant employee who is in charge of the waiters and usually attends to table seating.

c. A bell captain.

tr.v. cap·tained, cap·tain·ing, cap·tains

To act as captain of; command or direct: captained the football team.

[Middle English capitain, from Old French, from Late Latin capitāneus, chief, from Latin caput, capit-, head; see kaput- in Indo-European roots.]

cap′tain·cy, cap′tain·ship′ n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

captain

(ˈkæptɪn)

1. (Nautical Terms) the person in charge of and responsible for a vessel

2. (Military) an officer of the navy who holds a rank junior to a rear admiral but senior to a commander

3. (Military) an officer of the army, certain air forces, and the marine corps who holds a rank junior to a major but senior to a lieutenant

4. (Aeronautics) the officer in command of a civil aircraft, usually the senior pilot

5. (Team Sports, other than specified) the leader of a team in games

6. (Games, other than specified) the leader of a team in games

7. a person in command over a group, organization, etc; leader: a captain of industry.

8. (Law) US a police officer in charge of a precinct

9. US and Canadian (formerly) a head waiter

10. Also called: bell captain US and Canadian a supervisor of bellboys in a hotel

11. informal Austral a person who is buying drinks for people in a bar

(tr) to be captain of

[C14: from Old French capitaine, from Late Latin capitāneus chief, from Latin caput head]

ˈcaptaincy, ˈcaptainˌship n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cap•tain

(ˈkæp tən, -tɪn)

n.

1. a person in authority over others; chief; leader.

2. an army officer ranking next above a first lieutenant.

3. a commissioned naval officer ranking above a commander.

4. an officer of any rank who commands a military vessel.

5. an officer in a police or fire department ranking next above a lieutenant.

6. the commander of a merchant vessel.

7. the pilot of an airplane.

8. the field leader of a sports team.

9. a person of great power and influence, esp. based on wealth.

10. headwaiter.

11. bell captain.

v.t.

12. to lead or command as a captain.

[1325–75; Middle English capitain < Anglo-French capitain, captayn < Late Latin capitāneus chief <caput head + -ān(us) -an¹]

cap′tain•cy, cap′tain•ship`, n.

captain

Past participle: captained
Gerund: captaining

Imperative
captain
captain

Present
I captain
you captain
he/she/it captains
we captain
you captain
they captain

Preterite
I captained
you captained
he/she/it captained
we captained
you captained
they captained

Present Continuous
I am captaining
you are captaining
he/she/it is captaining
we are captaining
you are captaining
they are captaining

Present Perfect
I have captained
you have captained
he/she/it has captained
we have captained
you have captained
they have captained

Past Continuous
I was captaining
you were captaining
he/she/it was captaining
we were captaining
you were captaining
they were captaining

Past Perfect
I had captained
you had captained
he/she/it had captained
we had captained
you had captained
they had captained

Future
I will captain
you will captain
he/she/it will captain
we will captain
you will captain
they will captain

Future Perfect
I will have captained
you will have captained
he/she/it will have captained
we will have captained
you will have captained
they will have captained

Future Continuous
I will be captaining
you will be captaining
he/she/it will be captaining
we will be captaining
you will be captaining
they will be captaining

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been captaining
you have been captaining
he/she/it has been captaining
we have been captaining
you have been captaining
they have been captaining

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been captaining
you will have been captaining
he/she/it will have been captaining
we will have been captaining
you will have been captaining
they will have been captaining

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been captaining
you had been captaining
he/she/it had been captaining
we had been captaining
you had been captaining
they had been captaining

Conditional
I would captain
you would captain
he/she/it would captain
we would captain
you would captain
they would captain

Past Conditional
I would have captained
you would have captained
he/she/it would have captained
we would have captained
you would have captained
they would have captained

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	captain - an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" commissioned military officer - a commissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marine Corps
	2.	captain - the naval officer in command of a military ship skipper armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" commissioned naval officer - a commissioned officer in the navy flag captain - the captain of a flagship
	3.	captain - a policeman in charge of a precinct police captain, police chief Chief Constable - the head of the police force in a county (or similar area) police officer, policeman, officer - a member of a police force; "it was an accident, officer"
	4.	captain - an officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship sea captain, skipper, master ship's officer, officer - a person authorized to serve in a position of authority on a vessel; "he is the officer in charge of the ship's engines"
	5.	captain - the leader of a group of people; "a captain of industry" chieftain leader - a person who rules or guides or inspires others
	6.	captain - the pilot in charge of an airship senior pilot group captain - a commissioned officer (especially one in the Royal Air Force) equivalent in rank to a colonel in the army airplane pilot, pilot - someone who is licensed to operate an aircraft in flight
	7.	captain - a dining-room attendant who is in charge of the waiters and the seating of customers headwaiter, maitre d', maitre d'hotel dining-room attendant, restaurant attendant - someone employed to provide service in a dining room
Verb	1.	captain - be the captain of a sports team head, lead - be in charge of; "Who is heading this project?"

captain

noun

1. leader, boss, master, skipper, chieftain, head, number one (informal), chief He is a former English cricket captain.

2. commander, officer, skipper, (senior) pilot a beefy German sea captain

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

captain

verb

To have authoritative charge of:

command, lead.

Translations

رُبّان، قُبْطانقائِد، رَئيسنَقِيبيَتَرأَّس، يَقود

kapitánbýt kapitán

kaptajnanføre

Kapitän MannschaftskapitänStabshauptmannKapitän zur Seeanführen

λοχαγός καπετάνιος

capitán capitanear

kapteenikommodori

capitaine capitaine de vaisseau

kapetan

foringi, fyrirliîiskipstjóri, foringi, fyrirliîistjórna, vera fyrirliîi

capitano dirigere

船長

선장

būti kapitonukapitonaskapitono pareigosvadovauti

būt par kapteinikapteinispriekšnieks

kapitein

kaptein lagkaptein lede troppsfører elevrådsleder

kapitan dowodzić

capitão

капитан

byť kapitánom

kapetankapitan

kapten

กัปตัน

kaptankaptanlık yapmak/etmektakım kaptanı

đại úy

担任队长机长机长或船长船长队长

captain

[ˈkæptɪn]

A. N (Mil, Naut, Sport) → capitán/ana m/f (Aer) → comandante mf (US) (Police) → comisario/a m/f de distrito
captain of industry → magnate mf de la industria, gran industrial mf

B. VT [+ team] → capitanear
a team captained by Grace → un equipo capitaneado por Grace

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

captain

[ˈkæptɪn]

(MILITARY) → capitaine mf

[ship] → capitaine mf

[team] → capitaine mf
She's captain of the hockey team → Elle est capitaine de l'équipe de hockey.

[+ ship] → commander

[+ team] → être capitaine de

captain

(abbr Capt)

n (Mil) → Hauptmann m; (Naut, Aviat, Sport) → Kapitän m; (US, in restaurant) → Oberkellner m; yes, captain! → jawohl, Herr Hauptmann/Kapitän!; captain of industry → Industriekapitän m

vt (Sport) team → anführen; (Naut) ship → befehligen; he captained the team for years → er war jahrelang Kapitän der Mannschaft

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

captain

[ˈkæptɪn]

1. n → capitano, comandante m
captain of industry → capitano d'industria

2. vt (team) → essere capitano di, capitanare; (ship) → comandare

captain

(ˈkӕptən) noun

1. the commander of a ship, an aircraft, or a group of soldiers.

2. (abbreviated to Capt. , when written in titles) the leader of a team or club.

verb

to be captain of (something non-military). John captained the football team last year.

ˈcaptaincy noun

the job of captain. the captaincy of the team.

captain

→ نَقِيب kapitán kaptajn Kapitän καπετάνιος capitán kapteeni capitaine kapetan capitano 船長 선장 kapitein kaptein kapitan capitão капитан kapten กัปตัน kaptan đại úy 机长或船长

References in classic literature ?

On a hot and cloudy July afternoon, and on the second day which had elapsed since he had written to Magdalen, Captain Wragge sauntered through the gate of North Shingles Villa to meet the arrival of the coach, which then connected Aldborough with the Eastern Counties Railway.

The captain's reception of his wife was not characterized by an instant's unnecessary waste of time.

View in context

Two nights later Anne took Owen Ford down to Four Winds Point to introduce him to Captain Jim.

Captain Jim's visit to his old friend had revived many recollections and he was now in the full tide of reminiscences.

View in context

Captain Thorn was an honest, straighforward, but somewhat dry and dictatorial commander, who, having been nurtured in the system and discipline of a ship of war, and in a sacred opinion of the supremacy of the quarter-deck, was disposed to be absolute lord and master on board of his ship.

Astor, too, had put them on their mettle with respect to the captain, describing him as a gunpowder fellow who would command his ship in fine style, and, if there was any fighting to do, would "blow all out of the water."

View in context

Captain Wentworth was come to Kellynch as to a home, to stay as long as he liked, being as thoroughly the object of the Admiral's fraternal kindness as of his wife's.

View in context

Captain Nemo was there, bending over his organ, and plunged in a musical ecstasy.

View in context

"Captain Smollett, sir, axing to speak with you," said he.

View in context

He shook hands with the captain whose gaunt face and care-worn eyes made no secret of the trouble, whatever it was.

View in context

Two of them, of whom the captain was less assured than ordinary, I sent with Friday, and one of the three delivered men, to my cave, where they were remote enough, and out of danger of being heard or discovered, or of finding their way out of the woods if they could have delivered themselves.

View in context

To Pierre's assurances that he was not a Frenchman, the captain, evidently not understanding how anyone could decline so flattering an appellation, shrugged his shoulders and said that if Pierre absolutely insisted on passing for a Russian let it be so, but for all that he would be forever bound to Pierre by gratitude for saving his life.