captor

noun

cap·​tor ˈkap-tər 

-ˌtȯr

: one that has captured a person or thing

Examples of captor in a Sentence

The men fought their captors and escaped.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the captor would not have been inclined to tell that story, and the captive was not allowed, being not permitted to learn to read or write. — Anne Haley, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Her captors begin searching for a tracker embedded beneath her skin, but Joe insists the CIA doesn’t implant its operatives with tracking devices. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026

Others recounted people falling sick, being beaten by the rain, and told to hide whenever Nigerian military helicopters flew over the forest hideouts where the captors held them. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

As their captors sought cover, the terrified children were ordered to stay and shoot down the jets over the capital, Khartoum. — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Latin capere

First Known Use

circa 1688, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for captor

• apter
• chapter
• raptor
• adapter
• adaptor
• subchapter

Kids Definition

captor

noun

cap·​tor ˈkap-tər 

-ˌtȯ(ə)r

: one that has captured a person or thing