captain Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
  2. noun the naval officer in command of a military ship
    skipper.
  3. noun a policeman in charge of a precinct
    police chief; police captain.
  4. noun an officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship
    master; skipper; sea captain.
  5. noun the leader of a group of people
    chieftain.
    • a captain of industry
  6. noun the pilot in charge of an airship
    senior pilot.
  7. noun a dining-room attendant who is in charge of the waiters and the seating of customers
    maitre d'; maitre d'hotel; headwaiter.
  8. verb be the captain of a sports team

WordNet

Cap"tain noun
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  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 ermy. (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.
Cap"tain transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To act as captain of; to lead. R.
    Men who captained or accompanied the exodus from existing forms. Lowell.
Cap"tain adjective
Definitions
  1. Chief; superior. R.
    captain jewes in the carcanet. Shak.

Webster 1913