cap

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations'CAP': /ˌsiːeɪˈpiː/; 'cap': /ˈkæp/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/kæp/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(kap)

Inflections of 'cap' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
caps
v 3rd person singular
capping
v pres p
capped
v past
capped
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cap1 /kæp/USA pronunciation   n., v., capped, cap•ping. 
n. [countable]
  1. Clothinga close-fitting covering for the head, usually having no brim:a woolen cap.
  2. a hat that signals one's rank, occupation, or the like: a nurse's cap.
  3. a top, lid, or cover of a container or bottle: a bottle cap.
  4. summit;
    top:the cap of a hill.
  5. an upper limit, as one set by law on prices, wages, etc.;
    ceiling:urged a cap on wage increases of only 2%.
  6. a noise-making device for toy pistols, made of a small quantity of explosive wrapped in paper.

v. [~ + object]
  1. to provide or cover with or as if with a cap:Clouds capped the mountaintop.
  2. [ ~ + obj + with + obj] to complete:She capped her career with a victory.
  3. [~ + object + with + object] to follow with something better;
    outdo: to cap one joke with one even funnier.
  4. to put a maximum limit on:They promised to cap wages but not prices.

cap3 /kæp/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. Slang Termsa capsule, esp. of a narcotic drug.

-cap- root.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
cap1  (kap),USA pronunciation n., v., capped, cap•ping. 
n. 
  1. Clothinga close-fitting covering for the head, usually of soft supple material and having no visor or brim.
  2. Clothinga brimless head covering with a visor, as a baseball cap.
  3. mobcap.
  4. a headdress denoting rank, occupation, religious order, or the like:a nurse's cap.
  5. mortarboard (def. 2).
  6. [Math.]the symbol ∩, used to indicate the intersection of two sets. Cf. intersection (def. 3a).
  7. anything resembling or suggestive of a covering for the head in shape, use, or position:a cap on a bottle.
  8. summit;
    top;
    acme.
  9. a maximum limit, as one set by law or agreement on prices, wages, spending, etc., during a certain period of time;
    ceiling:a 9 percent cap on pay increases for this year.
  10. Plant Biology[Mycol.]the pileus of a mushroom.
  11. [Bot.]calyptra (def. 1).
  12. [Mining.]a short, horizontal beam at the top of a prop for supporting part of a roof.
  13. a percussion cap.
  14. British Termsa selection for a representative team, usually for a national squad.
  15. a noise-making device for toy pistols, made of a small quantity of explosive wrapped in paper or other thin material.
  16. [Naut.]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.
  17. a new tread applied to a worn pneumatic tire.
  18. [Archit.]a capital.
  19. [Carpentry.]a metal plate placed over the iron of a plane to break the shavings as they rise.
  20. [Fox Hunting.]See capping fee. 
  21. [Chiefly Brit. Slang.]a contraceptive diaphragm.
  22. cap in hand, humbly;
    in supplication:He went to his father cap in hand and begged his forgiveness.
  23. set one's cap for, to pursue as being a potential mate.

v.t. 
  1. to provide or cover with or as if with a cap.
  2. to complete.
  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.
  5. to put a maximum limit on (prices, wages, spending, etc.).
  6. [Brit. Sports.]to select (a player) for a representative team.

v.i. 
  1. [Fox Hunting.]to hunt with a hunting club of which one is not a member, on payment of a capping fee.
  • Late Latin cappa hooded cloak, cap; compare cape
  • Middle English cappe, Old English cæppe bef. 1000
cap′less, adj. 

cap2  (kap),USA pronunciation n., v., capped, cap•ping. 
n. 
  1. Printinga capital letter.
  2. PrintingUsually, caps. uppercase:Please set the underlined in caps.

v.t. 
  1. Printingto write or print in capital letters, or make an initial letter a capital;
    capitalize.
  • by shortening 1895–1900

cap3  (kap),USA pronunciation n. [Slang.]
  1. Slang Termsa capsule, esp. of a narcotic drug.
  • by shortening of capsule

CAP, 
    1. Government, See Civil Air Patrol. 
    2. Economics, GovernmentCommon Agricultural Policy: a coordinated system established in 1960 by the European Economic Community for stabilizing prices of farm products of its member countries.
    3. Stock Exchangecomputer-aided publishing.
    4. Business, [Stock Exchange.]convertible adjustable preferred (stock).
    Also, C.A.P. (for defs. 1, 2, 4).
cap., 
    1. Weights and Measurescapacity.
    2. Drugs(in prescriptions) let the patient take.
      • Latin capiat
    3. capital.
    4. capitalize.
    5. capitalized.
    6. Printingcapital letter.
    7. chapter.
      • Latin capiat
    8. foolscap.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cap /kæp/ n
  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. See percussion cap
  6. a small amount of explosive enclosed in paper and used in a toy gun
  7. chiefly Brit
    • an emblematic hat or beret given to someone chosen for a representative team: he has won three England caps
    • a player chosen for such a team
  8. the pileus of a mushroom or toadstool
  9. 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
    • the natural enamel covering a tooth
    • an artificial protective covering for a tooth
  12. an upper financial limit
  13. a mortarboard when worn with a gown at an academic ceremony (esp in the phrase cap and gown)
    • the cloud covering the peak of a mountain
    • the transient top of detached clouds above an increasing cumulus
  15. cap in hand ⇒ humbly, as when asking a favour
 vb (caps, capping, capped) (transitive)
  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
  4. Brit to select (a player) for a representative team
  5. to seal off (an oil or gas well)
  6. to impose an upper limit on the level of increase of (a tax)
  7. chiefly Scot NZ to award a degree to
Etymology: Old English cæppe, from Late Latin cappa hood, perhaps from Latin caput headˈcapper n
cap /kæp/ n chiefly Austral informal
  • short for cappuccino
    • Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
    CAP abbreviation for
    1. (in the US) Civil Air Patrol
    2. (in the EU) Common Agricultural Policy: the system for supporting farm incomes by maintaining agricultural prices at agreed levels
    Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
    cap. abbreviation for
    1. capital
    2. capitalize
    3. capital letter
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    'cap' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
    agaric - baggy green - baseball cap - bathing cap - beret - biretta - bonnet - bottle - cap and bells - cap-and-trade - cap-a-pie - cap. - cape - Cap-Haitien - capital - capsule - carmagnole - caul - chapeau - chapel - chaperon - closure - coif - Common Agricultural Policy - coonskin - cop - cope - cowl - coxcomb - crest - crown - crumhorn - death cap - detonator - dragoon - dunce cap - feather - ferrule - fez - fly agaric - foolscap - fool's cap - forage cap - fusilier - gill - glengarry - hammer - handicap - Aargau - Abkhazia
    Collocations: a [baseball, winter, sun, flat, fisherman's] cap, cap the [jar, bottle], a [nurse's, major's] cap, more...

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