▪ I. captain, n.
(ˈkæptɪn)
Forms: α. 4–5 capitain, -tayn, -tane, -tein, 5 capytayn, -tein, capeteigne, 5–6 capi-, capytayne, 5–7 capitaine, 6 capitan, 7 Sc. capitane; β. 4–5 capteyn, 5 -tayn, -tan, 5–7 -tayne, 6–7 -taine, 7 Sc. -tane, 5– captain.
[ME. capitain, a. late OF. (14th c.) capitaine, capitain, ad. late L. capitāne-us capitān-us adj. ‘chief, principal’, n. ‘chief, headman’, f. caput, capit- head.
Had L. capitāneus been an old word, which lived on in French, its OF. form would have been catain, chatain (:—captāneum); being of somewhat later (10–11th c. origin) the actual OF. form was cata-nië, cataigne, chataigne; a still later (12th c.) semipopular form, preserving the intertonic i of capitāneus, was chevetaine (whence Eng. chieftain). Capitaine was again a much later adaptation of the L.]
I. A chief or headman.
1. a. One who stands at the head of others and leads them, or exercises authority over them; a headman, chief, or leader. Now only as fig. use of special senses.
| c 1380 Wyclif De Eccles. ix. Sel. Wks. III. 360 It were good to obeishe to Petre, and þat sich a captein were in þe Chirche. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 231 Thou hast ben capytayn ayenst the fayth. 1534 More Picus Wks. 21 Christ our lorde and soueraine captayne. 1611 Bible Heb. ii. 10 The Captaine of their saluation. 1683 tr. Erasmus' Moriæ Enc. 50 Homer, that Captain of all Poetry. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 489 He [Homer] is the great captain and teacher of the whole of that charming tragic company. |
b. captain of industry, an industrial magnate, a merchant prince.
| 1843 Carlyle Past & Pr. iv. iv. 361 (heading) Captains of Industry. 1896 G. B. Shaw Our Theatres in Nineties (1932) II. 179 Attentive observers of great ‘captains of industry’ know that their success often comes to them in spite of themselves. 1931 Economist 10 Jan. 51/2 A representative conference of trade union leaders and captains of industry. 1933 J. M. Keynes Essays in Biogr. i. iii. 42 Mr. Bonar Law has liked to think of himself as..handling wars and empires and revolutions with the coolness and limited purpose of a first-class captain of industry. |
2. esp. A military leader; a commander of a body of troops, of a fortress, castle, etc.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce viii. 52 Thai off the castell..tauld it to thair capitane. 1450 W. Somner in Four C. Eng. Lett. 4 Peris Brusy was cheffe capteyn. 1535 Coverdale Judg. i. 1 Who shall..be oure Captayne of warre against y⊇ Cananites? 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. ii. ii. 130 That in the Captaine's but a chollericke word, Which in the Souldier is flat blasphemie. 1618 Bolton Florus ii. xviii. 157 Such as the Captaine is, such is the Souldier. 1671 Milton Samson 1651 Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or priests. 1752 Johnson Rambl. No. 190 ¶2 The captains of thousands awaited his commands. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 200 Of all the Irish captains the most dreaded and the most abhorred. |
3. A military leader of skill and experience; an able general or commander; a strategist.
| 1590 A. Cope (title) The History of two most noble Captaynes of the World, Anniball and Scipio. 1689 Evelyn Mem. (1857) III. 297 Authors of sects, great captains and politicians. 1701 Swift Contests in Athens & Rome Wks. 1755 II. i. 18 Miltiades..is reckoned to have been the first great captain, not only of Athens, but of all Greece. 1838 Macaulay Sir W. Temple, Ess. (L.) Condé and Turenne will always be considered as captains of a very different order from the invincible Lewis. 1868 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) II. x. 477 The world first fully learned how great a captain England had in her future King. |
II. The head of a division.
4. gen. A subordinate officer holding command under a sovereign, a general, or the like.
| c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 323 Folk, þat weren þe fendis capteyns in killing of martiris. 1535 Coverdale 1 Macc. xv. 38 The kynge made Cendebeus captayne of the see coost. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, v. iii. 108 O thou, whose Captaine I account my selfe..Make vs thy ministers of Chasticement. 1609 Bible (Douay) Lament. i. comm., His capitaine Nabuzardan spoyled al. 1611 Bible Deut. i. 15 Captaines ouer fifties, and captaines ouer tennes, and officers among your tribes. 1830 Sparks Biog. S. Cabot ii. 109 On Cabot's arrival..he gave him the title of his Captain. |
5. spec. a. In the army: The officer who commands a company of infantry or foot artillery, or a troop of cavalry or horse artillery, ranking between the major and the lieutenant. The grade is the third in order of promotion.
| 1567 Confed. Popish Princes in Strype Ann. Ref. I. ii. l. 538 The principall lievetenaunts and capytaines. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres ii. i. 15 Regiment [divided] into companies, ouer every company a Captaine. 1641 Sc. Acts. (1870) V. App. 679/2 Petitione be the Lieutenant Colonellis and Majoris..desyring the pay of ane captaine. 1814 Scott Wav. v, Captain Waverley of the ― regiment of dragoons. 1845 S. Austin Ranke's Hist. Ref. II. 347 Who had now risen to the rank of captain. |
b. An officer in the Salvation Army.
| 1878 Christian Mission Mag. Dec. 320 These stray remarks added to the interest we felt in our contemplated visit to the command of Captain Louise Agar. 1884 W. Booth General's Lett. 6 Dec. (1890) 18 Go to the crowd of sinners, or spot them individually..because out of them you may make Lieutenants, and Captains, and Majors, and Generals. 1965 R. Collier General next to God iii. 75 Not all in those pioneer years could afford..a guinea for a captain's outfit. |
c. U.S. A police officer ranking between chief officer and lieutenant; one who commands a precinct or division.
| 1909 L. F. Fuld Police Admin. ii. 57 An officer called a captain is placed in charge of each precinct. 1926 J. Black You can't Win iv. 32 One of the detectives went into an office..and came out at once with a man in uniform he called ‘captain’. 1932 W. Faulkner Light in August iv. 81 Captain McLendon said, ‘I don't reckon about it at all.’ 1978 J. Wambaugh Black Marble iv. 48 ‘Sometimes a fellow shouldn't work homicide that long,’ Captain Hooker offered. |
6. a. The officer who commands a man-of-war. In the British navy, the title of an officer who ranks between a rear-admiral or a commodore and a commander. The title is also often given by courtesy to a commander.
Captain of the Fleet: an officer, temporarily appointed by the admiralty, who acts as adjutant-general of a naval force, carries out all orders issued by the commander-in-chief, but whose special duty it is to keep up the discipline of the fleet; he wears the uniform of a rear-admiral. Captain of the Port: an officer of the Board of Health who ‘controls the entries and departures, the berthing at the anchorage, and general marine duties in a port, but possesses no naval authority. Hence, the port-captain is quite another officer’ (Smyth Sailor's Word-bk.).
| 1554 Eden Decades W. Ind. vii. (Arb.) 375 This capitayne Wyndam, puttyng furth of his shyp at Porchmouth. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iv. i. 107 This Villaine heere, Being Captaine of a Pinnace. 1626 Capt. Smith Accid. Yng. Seamen 1 The Captaines charge is to commaund all, and tell the Maister to what Port he will go. 1745 Observ. Conc. Navy 36 A Captain of a Man of War of the Line, is equal in Rank to a Colonel. 1804 G. Rose Diaries (1860) II. 194 Captain Prescott, a commander in the navy. 1836 Marryat Midsh. Easy xxii, The captain of the frigate. |
b. Applied to the chief sailor of a gang of men to whom the duties of a certain portion of the ship are assigned, as captain of the forecastle, captain of the hold, captain of the maintop, etc.
| 1801 Naval Chron. VI. 103 He was captain of a gun at the Battle of the Nile. 1833 Marryat P. Simple ii. vii, The captain of the main-top was there with two other sailors. 1859 F. Griffiths Artil. Man. (1862) 208, No. 1, the Captain [of a gun] commands, attends the breech, primes, points, and fires. 1882 Navy List July 459 Captain of Quarter-deck Men, Captain of the Forecastle, Captain of the Foretop, Captain of the Hold, etc. |
7. a. The master or commander of a merchant ship or of any kind of vessel.
| 1704 Addison Italy 6 Our Captain thought his Ship in so great Danger. 1822 J. Flint Lett. Amer. 144 The persons who take the charge of keel-boats are also Captains. 1858 Merc. Mar. Mag. V. 39 Capt. Baker had every confidence in the ship. 1873 Morley Rousseau II. 55 A kidnapper of coolies or the captain of a slaver. |
b. The pilot of a civil aircraft.
| 1929 Proc. Internat. Civil Aeronaut. Conf. 253 It will be indispensable..that a uniform juridical system govern..the aircraft, its owner..its captain and crew, as well as the passenger. 1955 Times 13 May 7/1 Having decided to retire from commercial flying after being an airline captain continuously since 1922 [etc.]. |
8. The superintendent or manager of a mine (in Cornwall, etc.).
| 1602 Carew Cornwall 10/1 Their ouerseer, whome they terme their Captaine. 1757 Borlase in Phil. Trans. L. 504 This very intelligent captain of the mine observes, etc. 1852 Leisure Ho. 632 note. 1864 Mrs. Lloyd Ladies Polc. 16. |
9. a. The foreman of a company of workmen or of a workshop in various trades. (Cf. also 6 b.)
| 1886 Newspaper, D. H., ‘captain’ of Messrs. Davies' [tailors'] shop, said that he never saw a coat worse made. |
b. One in charge of a group of waiters or bell-boys in a hotel. Chiefly U.S.
| 1942 L. Bemelmans Hotel Splendide iii. 43 These two have been nothing but waiter and captain for twenty years. Ibid. 44 Captains, ah! Maîtres d'hôtel they call themselves. 1952 M. Steen Phoenix Rising iii. 59 He indicated his wants to the waiter... The captain went to his table..and nodded sharply to the waiter. 1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 3 Feb. 23/1 The Imperial Room opened when the hotel was built in 1929 (one captain and one waiter have been there from the beginning). |
10. The head boy of a school, or of a form in it.
| 1706 Spect. No. 307 ¶13 Every Boy is bound to have as good a Memory as the Captain of the Form. 1730 Etoniana x. 156 There was a speech made by the captain. 1825 Scott in Lockhart (1839) VIII. 149 A schoolboy who writes himself Captain of Giggleswick School. 1864 Blackw. Mag. XCVI. 226 (Hoppe) The late captain of Harrow..gives it as his opinion that the small houses have their necessary advantages. |
11. In Cricket, Football, and other sports: The leader of a side or team, the chief of a club, etc.
| 1823 Miss Mitford in Lady's Mag. July 387/1 Our captain applied to him instantly to play. 1857 Hughes Tom Brown i. v, Old Brooke is talking to the captain of quarters [at foot-ball]. Ibid. ii. viii, And then the Captain of the eleven..what a post is his in our School world. 1865 (title) The Rob Roy on the Jordan..By J. Macgregor, Captain of the Royal Canoe Club. 1884 Harper's Mag. Jan. 299/1 They [bowling club] have a captain, and a treasurer. |
12. As a term of address (without implying any office or rank). familiar or slang. Cf. ‘governor’.
| 1607 Shakes. Timon ii. ii. 76 Why how now Captaine? what do you in this wise Company? 1611 ― Wint. T. i. ii. 122 Come Captaine, We must be neat; not neat, but cleanly, Captaine. 1862 Russell Diary, North & S. I. xiii. 139 All the people who addressed me by name prefixed ‘Major’ or ‘Colonel’. ‘Captain’ is very low..The conductor who took our tickets was called ‘Captain’. |
III. 13. A name for the Grey Gurnard.
| [c 1520 Andrewe Noble Lyfe in Babees Bk. (1868) 232 Capitaius is a lytel fisshe with a great hede, a wyde rounde mouthe.] 1810 P. Neill Fishes 14 (Jam.) Grey Gurnard; Crowner.—It is known by a variety of other names, as Captain, Hardhead, etc. |
IV. 14. Comb., as captain-craft, captain-commandant, captain-hackum, captain-sharp; captain's biscuit, a hard variety of fancy biscuit; † captain-pacha: see capitan.
| 1844 Dickens Mart. Chuz. v. (C.D.) 53 He took a *Captain's biscuit. |
| 1876 Bancroft Hist. U.S. IV. xv. 419 Commissioned..as *captain-commandant for Pittsburg. |
| 1639 Fuller Holy War iii. xxiv. (1840) 162 There were some mysteries in the *captain-craft. |
| 1877 Major Discov. Pr. Henry x. 131 Prince Henry..gave Cabral the rank of *Captain Donatary. |
| 1690 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, *Captain-hackum, a Fighting, Blustering, Bully. |
| Ibid. *Captain-sharp, a great Cheat; also a Huffing, yet Sneaking, Cowardly Bully. |
Add: [II.] [5.] d. The adult leader of a company of Girl Guides.
Although formally replaced by Guide Leader in 1966, the term continued in use unofficially for some years.
| 1909 R. Baden-Powell Girl Guides: Suggestion for Character Training (Pamphlet A) 6 The unit for work or play is the ‘Patrol’ of eight girls, of whom one is ‘Patrol Leader’, another the ‘Corporal’. Three or more Patrols form a Company under a ‘Captain’ and a ‘Lieutenant’. 1926 R. Kerr Commissioner's Bk. 196 Once a Ranger Company has been formed, the Captain should try and keep in touch with the Guide Companies that feed the Rangers. 1957 Encycl. Brit. X. 368/2 The Guides are organized in patrols of six or eight under a leader, two or more patrols forming a company under a captain. 1966 Tomorrow's Guide (Girl Guides Assoc.) iii. 21 Guide Leader [and] Assistant Guide Leader..should be used instead of Captain and Lieutenant. We believe that the time has come to drop the terms Captain and Lieutenant which, when used in conjunction with each other, have a military sound. 1976 Norwich Mercury 10 Dec. 2/1 She is retiring from her post of Captain..and handing over to Mrs. Dianne Perrott—who..is her present lieutenant. |
▪ II. † captain, a. Obs.
(ˈkæptɪn)
[In part perh. ad. med.L. capitāneus chief, principal; but in many cases not to be distinguished from an attrib. use of prec. n.]
Chief, principal, leading, head-.
| 1566 Drant Horace Sat. ii. B, He lays it to the captaine heape Whereof it rose, and grew. 1566 T. Stapleton Ret. Untr. Jewell iv. 50 A manifest and Captain Untruthe. 1581 Mulcaster Positions xxxiii. (1887) 121 Sound sleepe, the captaine cause of good digestion. c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. lii, Like stones of worth..Or captain jewels in the carcanet. 1635 R. Bolton Comf. Affl. Consc. iv. 182 Some Captaine and Commanding sinne. |
▪ III. captain, v.
(ˈkæptɪn)
[f. the n.]
a. trans. To act as captain to, lead as captain, head.
| 1598 Barret Theor. Warres ii. i. 24 Captained as we are, our blind ignorance may chance breed our owne woe. 1700 Southerne Fate of Capua i. i, This head-long rout..Is captain'd, headed, and led on by some. 1815 Southey Roderick xiv. 103 Who called them to the field, who captained them. 1885 Manch. Even. News 29 May 2/4 Lord Harris captained the team. 1885 Sat. Rev. 4 July 1/2. |
b. intr.
| 1671 Dryden Even. Love 19 As if I were gone a Captaining to Flanders. |