‖ [ L., for catching. ] A phrase used adjectively sometimes of meretricious attempts to catch or win popular favor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A volatile liquid, C4H9.SH, having a strong odor like that of a skunk; also called butanethiol. All three isomers, normal, sec-, and tert-butanethiol possess the skunk odor. [ PJC ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

A trainband captain eke was he. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Rhodian captain, relying on . . . the lightness of his vessel, passed, in open day, through all the guards. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A military leader; a warrior. [ 1913 Webster ]

Foremost captain of his time. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To act as captain of; to lead. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Men who captained or accompanied the exodus from existing forms. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Chief; superior. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

captain jewes in the carcanet. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Captaincies The rank, post, or commission of a captain. Washington. [ 1913 Webster ]

Captaincy general, the office, power, territory, or jurisdiction of a captain general; as, the captaincy general of La Habana (Cuba and its islands). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. capitainerie. ] Power, or command, over a certain district; chieftainship. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The condition, rank, post, or authority of a captain or chief commander. “To take the captainship.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Military skill; as, to show good captainship. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. captatio, fr. captare to catch, intens. of caper to take: cf. F. captation. ] A courting of favor or applause, by flattery or address; a captivating quality; an attraction. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Without any of those dresses, or popular captations, which some men use in their speeches. Eikon Basilike. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. captio, fr. caper to take. In senses 3 and 4, perhaps confounded in meaning with L. caput a head. See Capacious. ] 1. A caviling; a sophism. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

This doctrine is for caption and contradiction. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of taking or arresting a person by judicial process. [ R. ] Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) That part of a legal instrument, as a commission, indictment, etc., which shows where, when, and by what authority, it was taken, found, or executed. Bouvier. Wharton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The heading of a chapter, section, or page. [ U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. captieux, L. captiosus. See Caption. ] 1. Apt to catch at faults; disposed to find fault or to cavil; eager to object; difficult to please. [ 1913 Webster ]

A captious and suspicious age. Stillingfleet. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am sensible I have not disposed my materials to abide the test of a captious controversy. Bwike. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fitted to harass, perplex, or insnare; insidious; troublesome. [ 1913 Webster ]

Captious restraints on navigation. Bancroft.

Syn. -- Caviling, carping, fault-finding; censorious; hypercritical; peevish, fretful; perverse; troublesome. -- Captious, caviling, Carping. A captious person is one who has a fault-finding habit or manner, or is disposed to catch at faults, errors, etc., with quarrelsome intent; a caviling person is disposed to raise objections on frivolous grounds; carping implies that one is given to ill-natured, persistent, or unreasonable fault-finding, or picking up of the words or actions of others. [ 1913 Webster ]

Caviling is the carping of argument, carping the caviling of ill temper. C. J. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a captious manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Captious disposition or manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Captivated; p. pr. & vb. n. Captivating. ] [ L. captivatus, p. p. of captivare to capture, fr. captivus captive. See Captive. ] 1. To take prisoner; to capture; to subdue. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Their woes whom fortune captivates. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To acquire ascendancy over by reason of some art or attraction; to fascinate; to charm; as, Cleopatra captivated Antony; the orator captivated all hearts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Small landscapes of captivating loveliness. W. Irving.

Syn. -- To enslave; subdue; overpower; charm; enchant; bewitch; facinate; capture; lead captive. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. a. [ L. captivatus. ] Taken prisoner; made captive; insnared; charmed. [ 1913 Webster ]

Women have been captivate ere now. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. having an affection or admiration, caused by charm of the person or object.
Syn. -- charmed. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. filled with wonder and delight.
Syn. -- beguiled, charmed, delighted, enthralled, entranced. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Having power to captivate or charm; fascinating; as, captivating smiles. -- Cap"ti*va`ting*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. [ L. capticatio. ] The act of captivating. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The captivation of our understanding. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. captivus, fr. capere to take: cf. F. captif. See Caitiff. ] 1. A prisoner taken by force or stratagem, esp., by an enemy, in war; one kept in bondage or in the power of another. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then, when I am thy captive, talk of chains. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One charmed or subdued by beaty, excellence, or affection; one who is captivated. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Made prisoner, especially in war; held in bondage or in confinement. [ 1913 Webster ]

A poor, miserable, captive thrall. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Subdued by love; charmed; captivated. [ 1913 Webster ]

Even in so short a space, my wonan's heart
Grossly grew captive to his honey words. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of or pertaining to bondage or confinement; serving to confine; as, captive chains; captive hours. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Captived p. pr. & vb. n. Captiving. ] To take prisoner; to capture. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their inhabitans slaughtered and captived. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. captivitas: cf. F. captivité. ] 1. The state of being a captive or a prisoner. [ 1913 Webster ]

More celebrated in his captivity that in his greatest triumphs. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A state of being under control; subjection of the will or affections; bondage. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sink in the soft captivity together. Addison.

Syn. -- Imprisonment; confinement; bondage; subjection; servitude; slavery; thralldom; serfdom. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., a cather (of animals), fr. caper to take. ] One who captures any person or thing, as a prisoner or a prize. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. capture, fr. caper to take: cf. F. capture. See Caitiff, and cf. aptive. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of seizing by force, or getting possession of by superior power or by stratagem; as, the capture of an enemy, a vessel, or a criminal. [ 1913 Webster ]

Even with regard to captures made at sea. Bluckstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The securing of an object of strife or desire, as by the power of some attraction. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The thing taken by force, surprise, or stratagem; a prize; prey.

Syn. -- Seizure; apprehension; arrest; detention. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Captured p. pr. & vb. n. Capturing. ] 1. To seize or take possession of by force, surprise, or stratagem; to overcome and hold; to secure by effort. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. to record or make a lasting representation of (sound or images); as, to capture an event on videotape; the artist captured the expression of grief on his face. [ PJC ]

3. (Games) to take control of, or remove from play; as, to capture a piece in chess. [ PJC ]

4. to exert a strong psychological influence on; as, to capture the heart of a maiden; to capture the attention of the nation. [ PJC ]

5. (Computers) to record (data) in a computer-readable form; as, to capture a transaction in a database. [ PJC ]

Her heart is like some fortress that has been captured. W. Ivring. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Chem.) A gaseous substance (C2H5.SH) used as an odorant in natural gas and propane to facilitate detection and serve as a warning of leaks. [ PJC ]

n. [ Mercaptan + aldehyde. ] (Chem.) Any one of a series of compounds of mercaptans with aldehydes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. NL. mercurius mercury + L. captans, p. pr. of captare to seize, v. intens. fr. capere. ] (Chem.) Any one of series of compounds having an -SH radical attached to a carbon atom, also considered as hydrosulphides of alcohol radicals, in composition resembling the alcohols, but containing sulphur in place of oxygen, and hence called also the sulphur alcohols. In general, they are colorless liquids having a strong, repulsive, garlic odor. The name is specifically applied to ethyl mercaptan, C2H5SH. So called from its avidity for mercury, and other metals. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A compound of mercaptan formed by replacing its sulphur hydrogen by a metal; as, potassium mercaptide, C2H5SK. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Capture of fishes, as by angling. [ R. ] W. H. Russell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A captain of a war vessel whose name appeared, or was “posted, ” in the seniority list of the British navy, as distinguished from a commander whose name was not so posted. The term was also used in the United States navy; but no such commission as post-captain was ever recognized in either service, and the term has fallen into disuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Law) The act of retaking, as of one who has escaped after arrest; reprisal; the retaking of one's own goods, chattels, wife, or children, without force or violence, from one who has taken them and who wrongfully detains them. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Writ of recaption (Law), a writ to recover damages for him whose goods, being distrained for rent or service, are distrained again for the same cause. Wharton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who recaptures; one who takes a prize which had been previously taken. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of retaking or recovering by capture; especially, the retaking of a prize or goods from a captor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is captured back; a prize retaken. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To capture again; to retake. [ 1913 Webster ]

The captain of a vessel that sails upon the sea. [ 1913 Webster ]

See abolishable.
See absolvable.
See absurd.
See abundant.
See accordant.
See adoptable.
See adventurous.
See affable.
See affectionate.
See afraid.
See alliable.
See allowable.
See alterable.
See ambiguous.
See ambitious.
See amendable.
See -American.
See amusive.
See angular.
See anxious.
See apocryphal.
See apostolic.
See apparent.
See appeasable.
See applausive.
See appreciable.
See apprehensible.
See apprehensive.
See approachable.
See artificial.
See artistic.
See assailable.
See attainable.
See attentive.
See authentic.
See available.
See bailable.
See bearable.
See beautiful.
See beliefful.
See believable.
See beneficial.
See benevolent.
See blamable.
See blemishable.
See blissful.
See boastful.
See bold.
See bookish.
See bounteous.
See bribable.
See brotherly.
See burdensome.
See businesslike.
See busy.
See candid.
See canonical.
See captious.
See careful.
See celestial.
See ceremonious.
See challengeable.
See changeable.
See chary.
See chastisable.
See cheerful.
See cheery.
See childish.
See chivalrous.
See choleric.
See christianlike.
See circumspect.
See civic.
See classible.
See classic.
See classical.
See cleanly.
See clear.
See clerical.
See clerklike.
See close.
See cloudy.
See clubbable.
See coagulable.
See cogitable.
See collectible.
See comic.
See commendable.
See commercial.
See communicable.
See communicative.
See compact.
See companionable.
See compassionate.
See compellable.
See competitive.
See complaisant.
See compliant. See complimentary.
See concealable.
See concurrent.
See conditionate.
See confinable.
See confutable.
See congealable.
See congenial.
See conjugal.
See conjunctive.
See conquerable.
See consecrate.
See containable.
See contaminate.
See contradictable.
See contrite.
See convenable.
See conventional.
See conversable.
See conversant.
See convertible.
See coquettish.
See cordial.
See corpulent.
See correspondent.
See corruptible.
See corruptive.
See costly.
See counselable.
See countable.
See counterfeit.
See courteous.
See courtierlike.
See courtly.
See crafty.
See creatable.
See critical.
See crystalline.
See cultivable.
See curious.
See customary.
See dangerous.
See daughterly.
See dead.
See deceivable.
See decidable.
See decipherable.
See declinable.
See decomposable.
See definable.
See delectable.
See deliberate.
See delightful.
See deliverable.
See democratic.
See demonstrable.
See demonstrative.
See deniable.
See derogatory.
See descendible.
See describable.
See desirable.
See desirous.
See despondent.
See devout.
See diaphanous.
See diligent.
See diminishable.
See discernible.
See disciplinable.
See discordant.
See discoverable.
See dissolvable.
See distinguishable.
See dividable.
See divine.
See domestic.
See doubtful.
[ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. usucapere, usucaptum, to acquire by long use; usu (ablative of usus use) + capere to take: cf. usucapio usucaption. ] (Roman Law) The acquisition of the title or right to property by the uninterrupted possession of it for a certain term prescribed by law; -- the same as prescription in common law. [ 1913 Webster ]