- Main Entry:
- 1cap
- Pronunciation:
-
\ˈkap\
- Function:
- noun
- Usage:
- often attributive
- Etymology:
- Middle English cappe, from Old English cęppe, from Late Latin cappa head covering, cloak
- Date:
- before 12th century
1 a: a head covering especially with a visor and no brim b: a distinctive head covering emblematic of a position or office: as (1): a cardinal's biretta (2): mortarboard 2: a natural cover or top: as a: an overlying rock layer that is usually hard to penetrate b (1): pileus (2): calyptra c: the top of a bird's head or a patch of distinctively colored feathers in this area 3 a: something that serves as a cover or protection especially for a tip, knob, or end <a bottle cap> b: a fitting for closing the end of a tube (as a water pipe or electric conduit) cBritish : cervical cap d: an artificial crown for a tooth4: an overlaying or covering structure5: a paper or metal container holding an explosive charge (as for a toy pistol)6: an upper limit (as on expenditures) : ceiling7: the symbol ∩ indicating the intersection of two sets — compare cup 98: a cluster of molecules or chemical groups bound to one end or a region of a cell, virus, or molecule
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cap in hand : in a respectful, humble, or sometimes fearful manner
