captain

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English capitain, capteyn, from Old French capitaine, from Late Latin capitāneus, from Latin caput (“head”) (English cap). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap-. Doublet of chieftain, also from Old French. === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkæp.tɪn/, /ˈkæp.tən/ (US, General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈkæp.tən/ (naval, informal) IPA(key): /ˈkæp.ən/, [ˈkæpn̩], [ˈkæpm̩] Rhymes: (US, General Australian) -æptən Homophone: captan (one pronunciation) === Noun === captain (plural captains) A chief or leader. The person lawfully in command of a ship or other vessel. An army officer with a rank between the most senior grade of lieutenant and major. A naval officer with a rank between commander and commodore. A commissioned officer in the United States Navy, Coast Guard, NOAA Corps, or PHS Corps of a grade superior to a commander and junior to a rear admiral (lower half). A captain is equal in grade or rank to a United States Army, Marine Corps, or Air Force colonel. (aviation) A rank qualifying an airline pilot to act as pilot in command of a two-pilot flight crew. Coordinate terms: first officer, copilot One of the athletes on a sports team who is designated to make decisions, and is allowed to speak for his team with a referee or official. The leader of a group of workers. The head boy of a school. A maître d', a headwaiter. 1977, Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey, lyricists, "Hotel California", So I called up the Captain, "Please bring me my wine." / He said: "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969." (Southern US) An honorific title given to a prominent person. See colonel. ==== Synonyms ==== (leader of a group of workers): supervisor, straw boss, foreman (commander of a vessel): skipper, master (pilot in command): pilot, pilot in command (military rank): CAPT, CAPT., Capt., Capt, CPT (abbreviation) ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === captain (third-person singular simple present captains, present participle captaining, simple past and past participle captained) (intransitive) To act as captain (transitive) To exercise command of a ship, aircraft or sports team. ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Anagrams === anti-cap, capitan, patican