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Webster 1913 Edition

Caper

Ca′per

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Capered
p. pr. & vb. n.
capering
.]
[From older
capreoll
to caper, cf. F.
se cabrer
to prance; all ultimately fr. L.
caper
,
capra
, goat. See
Capriole
.]
To leap or jump about in a sprightly manner; to cut capers; to skip; to spring; to prance; to dance.
He
capers
, he dances, he has eyes of youth.
Shakespeare

Ca′per

,
Noun.
A frolicsome leap or spring; a skip; a jump, as in mirth or dancing; a prank.
To cut a caper
,
to frolic; to make a sportive spring; to play a prank.
Shak.

Ca′per

,
Noun.
[D.
kaper
.]
A vessel formerly used by the Dutch, privateer.
Wright.

Ca′per

,
Noun.
[F.
câpre
, fr. L.
capparis
, Gr. [GREEK]; cf. Ar. & Per.
al-kabar
.]
1.
The pungent grayish green flower bud of the European and Oriental caper (
Capparis spinosa
), much used for pickles.
2.
(Bot.)
A plant of the genus
Capparis
; – called also
caper bush
,
caper tree
.
☞ The
Capparis spinosa
is a low prickly shrub of the Mediterranean coasts, with trailing branches and brilliant flowers; – cultivated in the south of Europe for its buds. The
Capparis sodada
is an almost leafless spiny shrub of central Africa (Soudan), Arabia, and southern India, with edible berries.
Bean caper
.
See
Bran caper
, in the
Vocabulary
.
–
Caper sauce
,
a kind of sauce or catchup made of capers.

Webster 1828 Edition

Caper

CAPER

,
Verb.
I.
To leap; to skip or jump; to prance; to spring.

CAPER

,
Noun.
A leap; a skip; a spring; as in dancing or mirth, or in the frolick of a goat or lamb.

CAPER

,
Noun.
The bud of the caper-bush, which is much used for pickling. The buds are collected before the flowers expand, and preserved in vinegar. The bush is a low shrub, generally growing from the joints of old walls, from fissures in rocks and amongst rubbish, in the southern parts of Europe.

Definition 2024

caper

caper

English

Noun

caper ‎(plural capers)

  1. A playful leap or jump
  2. A jump while dancing
  3. a prank or practical joke.
  4. (usually in plural) playful behaviour
  5. A crime, especially theft, or a narrative about such a crime.
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

caper ‎(third-person singular simple present capers, present participle capering, simple past and past participle capered)

  1. To leap or jump about in a sprightly or playful manner
  2. to jump as part of a dance.
  3. to engage in playful behaviour
Translations

Etymology 2

From Dutch kaper.

Noun

caper ‎(plural capers)

  1. A vessel formerly used by the Dutch; privateer.
Translations

Etymology 3

From Latin capparis.

Noun

caper ‎(plural capers)

  1. The pungent grayish green flower bud of the European and Oriental caper (Capparis spinosa), which is pickled and eaten.
  2. A plant of the genus Capparis.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations

External links

Etymology 4

Shortening of capercaillie.

Noun

caper ‎(plural capers)

  1. (Scotland) The capercaillie.
Translations

Anagrams

French

Etymology

English cap

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ka.pe/

Verb

caper

  1. (finance) to cap (set a limit to)
  2. (sports) to cap (award a player a cap for playing for their national team)

Conjugation

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *kápros ‎(“buck, he-goat”); see also Old Norse hafr ‎(“he-goat”), Old English hæfr, Welsh gafr, Old Irish gabor.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈka.per/

Noun

caper m ‎(genitive caprī); second declension

  1. a male goat
  2. vocative singular of caper

Inflection

Second declension, nominative singular in -er.

Case Singular Plural
nominative caper caprī
genitive caprī caprōrum
dative caprō caprīs
accusative caprum caprōs
ablative caprō caprīs
vocative caper1 caprī

1May also be capre.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

References

Middle French

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin capere, present active infinitive of capiō.

Verb

caper

  1. to seize

Conjugation

  • Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
   Conjugation of caper
simple compound
infinitive caper avoir capé
gerund en capant Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle
present participle capant
past participle capé
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative ie (may be i' before a vowel) tu il nous vous ilz, elles
simple
tenses		 present cape capes cape capons capez capent
imperfect capois, capoys capois, capoys capoit, capoyt capions, capyons capiez, capyez capoient, capoyent
past historic capa capas capa capasmes capastes caperent
future caperai, caperay caperas capera caperons caperez caperont
conditional caperois, caperoys caperois, caperoys caperoit, caperoyt caperions, caperyons caperiez, caperyez caperoient, caperoyent
compound
tenses		 present perfect Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle
past anterior Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle
future perfect Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle
conditional perfect Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle
subjunctive que ie que tu qu'il que nous que vous qu'ilz, qu'elles
simple
tenses		 present cape capes cape capons capez capent
imperfect capasse capasses capast capassions capassiez capassent
compound
tenses		 past Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
— cape — capons capez —

Etymology

Shortening of capriole.

Pronunciation

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