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APG.American
Pronunciation Guide
HOW TO PRONOUNCE

captain

/ˈkæp.tən/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:03
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What does captain mean?

noun

  1. A chief or leader.
  2. The person lawfully in command of a ship or other vessel.
  3. An army officer with a rank between the most senior grade of lieutenant and major.
More meanings (13)

noun

  1. A naval officer with a rank between commander and commodore.
  2. 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 a United States Army, Marine Corps, or Air Force colonel.
  3. A rank qualifying an airline pilot to act as pilot in command of a two-pilot flight crew.
  4. 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.
  5. The leader of a group of workers.
  6. The head boy of a school.
  7. A maître d', a headwaiter.
  8. An honorific title given to a prominent person. See colonel.
  9. The honorific of a captain, especially a ship's captain or a person with the military rank of captain.
  10. Forms a title for a superhero seen as embodying or possessing in high degree the qualities associated with the ensuing phrase
  11. (humorous) Forms a title or nickname for a person; typically a nonce coinage

verb

  1. To act as captain
  2. To exercise command of a ship, aircraft or sports team.
Wiktionary contributors Wiktionary contributors

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈkæp.tən/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

“Yes,” said the captain, “now that I do not know where I am going, I want to know why I am going.”
Jules VerneFrom the Earth to the moon; and, round the moonProject Gutenberg ebook #83
It was the highest satisfaction to her to believe Captain Wentworth not in the least aware of the pain he was occasioning.
Jane AustenPersuasionProject Gutenberg ebook #105
More book examples (3)
“Now, captain,” said the squire, “you were right, and I was wrong. I own myself an ass, and I await your orders.”
Robert Louis StevensonTreasure IslandProject Gutenberg ebook #120
He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.
active 6th century B.C. SunziThe Art of WarTranslated by Lionel GilesProject Gutenberg ebook #132
M. le Duc de Havré, as captain of the guard on duty that day, was seated in the carriage, opposite the king.
Victor HugoLes MisérablesTranslated by Isabel Florence HapgoodProject Gutenberg ebook #135