Definition of capture
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: an act or instance of capturing: such as
a
: an act of catching, winning, or gaining control by force, stratagem, or guile
the capture of the city by enemy forces
b
: a move in a board game (such as chess or checkers) that gains an opponent's piece
c
: the absorption by an atom, nucleus, or particle of a subatomic particle that often results in subsequent emission of radiation or in fission
d
: the act of recording in a permanent file
data capture motion capture
2
: one that has been taken (such as a prize ship)
capture
verbDefinition of capture (Entry 2 of 2)
b
: to gain or win especially through effort
captured 60 percent of the vote
2a
: to emphasize, represent, or preserve (something, such as a scene, mood, or quality) in a more or less permanent form
… at any such moment as a photograph might capture …— C. E. Montague
b
: to record in a permanent file (as in a computer)
The system is used to capture data relating to the buying habits of young people.
3
: to captivate and hold the interest of
The performer captured our attention.
4
: to take according to the rules of a game
A knight captured his pawn.
5
: to bring about the capture of (a subatomic particle)
6
astronomy
: to draw into the gravitational influence of a larger body
Asteroids were thought to be too small to capture a moon, but the moon might be a fragment that broke off.— Kenneth Chang
Test Your Vocabulary
Great Words for Scrabble
-
- Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share capture
Time Traveler for capture
The first known use of capture was circa 1542
See more words from the same year