Definitions for: Captain


[n] a diningroom attendant who is in charge of the waiters and the seating of customers
[n] the pilot ins charge of an airship
[n] the naval officer in command of a military ship
[n] a policeman in charge of a precinct
[n] an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
[n] the leader of a group of people; "a captain of industry"
[n] an officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship
[v] be the captain of a sports team



Webster (1913) Definition: Cap"tain (k[a^]p"t[i^]n), n. [OE. capitain, captain,
OF. capitain, F. capitaine (cf. Sp. capitan, It. capitano),
LL. capitaneus, capitanus, fr. L. caput the head. See under
Chief, and cf. Chieftain.]
1. A head, or chief officer; as:
(a) The military officer who commands a company, troop, or
battery, or who has the rank entitling him to do so
though he may be employed on other service.
(b) An officer in the United States navy, next above a
commander and below a commodore, and ranking with a
colonel in the army.
(c) By courtesy, an officer actually commanding a vessel,
although not having the rank of captain.
(d) The master or commanding officer of a merchant vessel.
(e) One in charge of a portion of a ship's company; as, a
captain of a top, captain of a gun, etc.
(f) The foreman of a body of workmen.
(g) A person having authority over others acting in
concert; as, the captain of a boat's crew; the captain
of a football team.

A trainband captain eke was he. --Cowper.

The Rhodian captain, relying on . . . the
lightness of his vessel, passed, in open day,
through all the guards. --Arbuthnot.

2. A military leader; a warrior.

Foremost captain of his time. --Tennyson.

Captain general.
(a) The commander in chief of an army or armies, or of the
militia.
(b) The Spanish governor of Cuba and its dependent
islands.

Captain lieutenant, a lieutenant with the rank and duties
of captain but with a lieutenant's pay, -- as in the first
company of an English regiment.


Cap"tain, v. t.
To act as captain of; to lead. [R.]

Men who captained or accompanied the exodus from
existing forms. --Lowell.


Cap"tain, a.
Chief; superior. [R.]

captain jewes in the carcanet. --Shak.

Synonyms: chieftain, head waiter, maitre d'hotel, master, police captain, police chief, sea captain, senior pilot, skipper

See Also: airplane pilot, Beria, Captain Kidd, Chief Constable, commissioned military officer, commissioned naval officer, dining-room attendant, flag captain, group captain, head, Kidd, Lavrenti Pavlovich Beria, lead, leader, officer, pilot, police officer, policeman, restaurant attendant, ship's officer, William Kidd

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