▪ I. caper, n.1
(ˈkeɪpə(r))
Forms: α. with -s in sing. and pl. 4 caperis, 4–6 cap(p)aris, -es, 6–7 caperes, -ers, -ars, cappers; β. without -s in sing. 6–9 caper, 7 capar; γ. (from Fr.) 5–7 capres.
[ME. caperis, caperes, a. L. capparis, a. Gr. κάππαρις; in OF. caspres, mod.Fr. câpre, It. cappero. The final s being treated as the plural sign, esp. in sense 2, was at length dropped in the singular. Cf. F. câpres in Littré.]
1. A shrub (Capparis spinosa) in habit of growth like the common bramble, abundant on walls and rocky places in the South of Europe.
| 1382 Wyclif Eccles. xii. 5 The erbe caperis [1388 capparis] shal be scatered. 1551 Turner Herbal H iij b, Capers is a pricky bushe. 1578 Lyte Dodoens vi. xviii. 680 The Caper is a prickley plant or bush almost lyke the Bramble. 1597 Gerard Herbal ii. cccxxxi. 896 It is generally called Cappers in most languages; in English Cappers, Caper, and Capers. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 102/2 Capers hath a weak woody stalk. 1751 Chambers Cycl., Caper, Capparis. 1881 Cornh. Mag. Mar. 315 In sheltered nooks the caper hangs her beautiful purpureal snowy bloom. |
2. (usually in pl.) The flower-buds of the same, gathered for pickling.
| 1481–90 Howard Househ. Bks. (1841) 311 He bout for my Lord..xxij. lb. capres. 1566 Gascoigne Supposes, Wks. (1587) 58, I will go into the towne and buy oranges, olives, and cappers. 1641 Suckling Let. 56 The Capers which will make my Lord of Dorset goe from the Table. 1732 Arbuthnot Rules of Diet I. 244 Capers, astringent and diuretic. 1882 Garden 9 Sept. 233/1 The Capers of commerce are the flower-buds gathered while in a young state. |
3. Capucine capers, Capuchin capers, English capers: the seed-vessels of the nasturtium (Tropæolum majus: see capucine), or of the caper spurge (Euphorbia Lathyris), gathered for pickling; also the plants themselves.
| 1693 Evelyn De la Quint. Compl. Gard. II. 189 Capucine-Capers, or Nasturces, are annual Plants. 1721–1800 Bailey, Capuchin Capers, a plant called Nasturces. 1750 Johnson Rambl. No. 51 ¶12 The art of making English Capers she has not yet persuaded herself to discover. |
4. A sort of scented tea.
| 1864 W. Wood Wds. about Tea 10 Scented Teas..a close twisted round shot-like leaf, termed Caper. 1883 Daily News 27 July 6/8 Tea..scented Caper 5d. to 1s. o1/4d. |
5. attrib., as in caper-berry, caper-bush, caper-plant, caper-sauce, caper-shrub, caper-tree; also caper-bean = bean-caper (see bean n.); caper-bush, caper-plant, caper-spurge, different names of Euphorbia Lathyris; caper-tree, Busbeckia arborea of New South Wales.
| 1885 Bible (R.V.) Eccles. xii. 5 The *caper-berry shall fail. |
| 1673 Ray Trav. (1738) II. 14, I found nothing by the way but a few *Caper-bushes. 1807 Pinkerton Mod. Geog. Abr. (1811) 209 The rocks on the [Spanish] coast..abound with samphire..vetch, caper bush. |
| 1882 A. J. C. Hare in Gd. Words Mar. 185 The beautiful *caper plant, which is the hyssop of Scripture. |
| 1791 Wolcott (P. Pindar) Rights of Kings Wks. 1812 II. 431 Dear as, to Legs of Mutton, *Caper-Sauce. |
| 1609 Bible (Douay) Eccles. xii. 5 The *caper-tree shal be destroyed. |
▪ II. caper, n.2
(ˈkeɪpə(r))
[app. abbreviated from capriole n.: Florio has It. ‘capriola a capriole or caper in dancing’. Cf. the vb.; also cab from cabriolet.]
1. a. A frolicsome leap, like that of a playful kid; a frisky movement, esp. in dancing; said also of horses; fig. a fantastic proceeding or freak.
| 1592 Greene Upst. Court. in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) II. 248 You, Maister Usher of the dauncing schoole..stand upon your tricks and capers. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. ii. iv. 55 We that are true Louers, runne into strange capers. 1712 Pope Spect. No. 408 ¶5 An Hour in Secret, wherein he had his Frisks and Capers. 1856 Olmsted Slave States 68 Jane [a horse] gave a little sympathizing caper. |
b. to cut a caper or capers: to dance in a frolicsome way, to act fantastically. † to cut a caper on nothing: to be hanged.
| 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. i. iii. 129 And. Faith, I can cut a caper. To. And I can cut the mutton too't. 1691 Wood Ath. Oxon. II. /262 By his high dancing and cutting of Capers..he did..sprain a vein. 1708 Motteux Rabelais iv. xvi, Two of the honestest Gentlemen in Catchpole-land had been made to cut a Caper on nothing. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 4 ¶8 He can Dance, though he does not cut Capers. 1826 Disraeli Viv. Grey v. xv. 260 Executing splendid somersets, and cutting every species of caper. |
c. transf. Any activity or pursuit, spec. a fashionable occupation. Also, a ‘game’, dodge, racket. (There are many shades of meaning in U.S., N.Z., and elsewhere.)
| 1839 Spirit of Times 9 Nov. 423/2 When they are short on't for cradles, a feedin trof is jest the caper. 1840 C. F. Hoffman Greyslaer I. 84 The bizness is a bad one, any how you can fix it, capting; but I think I understand the caper on't. 1851 Mayhew Lond. Labour I. 416/1, I used to dress tidy and very clean for the ‘respectable broken-down tradesman or reduced gentleman’ caper. 1867 London Herald 23 Mar. 221 ‘He'll get five years penal for this little caper,’ said the policeman. a 1889 Boston Herald (D.A.E.), Mind-reading is now the proper caper. 1897 Conrad Nigger Narcissus iv. 81 ‘I know his caper,’ he said, in a low voice. 1926 J. Black You can't Win x. 131 If anything had gone wrong with this caper and we had to take a pinch. 1944 J. A. Lee Shining with Shiner 75 It's getting worse for this caper every year. 1959 N.Z. Listener 12 June 5/2 Marxism was the caper. 1959 Times 26 May 12/7 Now let's see if the car stops at all after that little caper. 1964 J. Burke Hard Day's Night v. 104, I know your caper. The kidney punch and the rabbit clout. |
2. Comb. caper-cut, the cutting of a caper; caper-cutting a., that cuts capers: caper-witted a., of frivolous or unsteady mind.
| a 1626 Fletcher Love's Pilgr., My poor child..Your caper-cutting son has run away with. a 1670 Hacket Abp. Williams I. 227 (D.) Whatsoever any caper-witted man may observe. 1875 Browning Aristoph. Apol. 361 Those flute-girls—trash who..fed eye with caper-cuts. |
▪ III. † ˈcaper, n.3 Obs. exc. Hist.
[a. mod.Du. kaper privateer, corsair, f. kapen, E.Fris. kapen to take away, steal, rob, plunder (see cape v.2).]
1. A privateer (also caper-vessel); the captain of a privateer; a corsair.
| 1657 S. Colvil Whig's Supplic. (1695) 23 Capers bringing in their prizes, Commons cursing new excises. 1666 Lamont Diary (1810) 243 Divers persons contributed to the reaking out of smaller Vessels to be capers. 1667 Ibid. 246 A caper vessel..did spleit on upon the Sands. 1668 Treaty in Magens Insurances (1755) II. 447 The Captains and Capers shall..give good and sufficient Security. 1821 Scott Pirate xxvi, Brenda..ran from her like a Spanish merchant⁓man from a Dutch caper. |
| fig. 1719 D'Urfey Pills V. 349 Wit Capers, play Sharpers, loud Bullies. |
† 2. A captor, seizer. Sc. Obs.
| 1759 Fountainhall Decisions I. 333 (Jam.) The oft debated cause of the Capers of the two prize Danish ships..that they were free ships, but that the Capers had probable grounds to bring them up. |
▪ IV. caper, n.4 Sc.
(ˈkeɪpə(r))
Also kaper.
[a. Gael. ceapaire piece of bread and butter.]
‘A piece of oatcake and butter with a slice of cheese on it’ (Jamieson).
| 1815 Clan Albin I. 211 (Jam.) Hugh..I gave you a kaper, and a crogan of milk. 1818 Trial Sons of Rob Roy 107 She gave the deponent..bread, butter, and cheese, which they call a caper. |
▪ V. caper, n.5 slang.
(ˈkeɪpə(r))
(See quot.)
| 1851 Mayhew Lond. Labour I. 287 And capers (chorister boys and ballet-girls). |
▪ VI. caper, n.6
(ˈkæpə(r))
Colloq. abbrev. of capercailye, capercailzie.
| 1902 Westm. Gaz. 30 Dec. 4/3 The great ‘caper’ can fly as noiselessly as an owl. 1920 J. Ritchie Animal Life Scotl. vi. 355 Bishop Jhone Leslie..shows clearly that the range of the Caper was limited. 1937 R. A. Knox Double Cross Purposes ix. 146 A caper rocketed up suddenly a few feet away from him. 1958 Listener 23 Oct. 660/3 Many other species..from the grand old Caper to diminutive shore waders. |
▪ VII. caper, v.1
(ˈkeɪpə(r))
[app. abbreviated from capriole v.: Florio has It. ‘capriolare to caper or capriole’. Cf. the n.]
intr. To dance or leap in a frolicsome manner, to skip for merriment; to prance as a horse. Also with about, away.
| 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 113 The third he caper'd, and cried All goes well. 1635 Swan Spec. M. vi. ii. (1643) 221 As if it danced or capered up and down. 1691 Boyle Wks. II. 282 (R.) Dancing and capering like a kid. 1768 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1852) II. 445 The complete horseman..may let him sometimes prance and caper and curvet. 1802 M. Edgeworth Moral T. I. viii. 50 A number of people capering about. 1847 Barham Ingol. Leg. (1877) 168 Capering away in a Spanish bolero. 1859 Tennyson Elaine 788. Making a roan horse caper and curvet For pleasure. |
b. transf. and fig. of a singer or singing bird.
| a 1593 H. Smith Serm. I. 410 A nightingale..quavers and capers and trebles. 1609 Douland Ornith. Microl. 88 The Italians..caper with their voyces. 1850 Blackie æschylus I. Pref. 6 The old Hellenic dialect can caper gracefully through movements, that..would twist our English tongue into..dislocation. |
▪ VIII. † caper, v.2 Obs.
[f. caper n.3]
To privateer. See caperer1 and capering.