capo

1 of 2

noun (1)

ca·​po ˈkā-(ˌ)pō How to pronounce capo (audio)
plural capos
: a movable bar attached to the fingerboard of a fretted instrument to uniformly raise the pitch of all the strings

capo

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural capos
: the head of a branch of a crime syndicate

Examples of capo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Most people ask for a capo in b, which a server told me is like a cappuccino, but with less milk, and served in a bicchiere, or glass, rather than a cup. Taras Grescoe, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2024 Born into an important ’Ndrangheta family—her father was a capo—F. got married at nineteen and had two children. D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024 In the nineties, a boy named Giuseppe Di Matteo was held by a Mafia capo there and tortured for nearly two years, because the boy’s father—a mobster turned informant—was set to testify against his fellow gang members. D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024 Speculation has spread in Mexico that Guzmán López sought to turn in the elderly, rival capo in hopes of leniency for himself and his younger brother, Ovidio, who is also in federal custody in the United States facing drug-smuggling charges. Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for capo 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

short for capotasto, from Italian, literally, head of fingerboard

Noun (2)

Italian, head, chief, from Latin caput

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1926, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of capo was in 1926

Dictionary Entries Near capo

Cite this Entry

“Capo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capo. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

capo

noun
ca·​po
ˈkā-pō
plural capos
: a bar that can be fitted on the fingerboard especially of a guitar to raise the pitch of all the strings
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!