captain

Meanings

Noun

• 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 an Army, Marine Corps, or Air Force colonel.
• 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.

Verb

• To act as captain
• To exercise command of a ship, aircraft or sports team.

Related

Similar words

• supervisor, straw boss, foreman
• skipper, master
• pilot, pilot in command
• CAPT, CAPT., Capt., Capt, CPT

Origin

• From Middle English capitain, capteyn, from Old French capitaine, from Late Latin capitāneus, from Latin caput ("head") (English cap). chieftain, also from Old French.