n.
- the person in command of a ship.
▸the pilot in command of a civil aircraft.
▸a rank of naval officer above commander and below commodore.
- a rank of officer in the army and in the US and Canadian air forces, above lieutenant and below major.
▸(in the US) a police officer in charge of a precinct.
- the leader of a team, especially in sports.
▸a powerful or influential person in a particular field:
a captain of industry.
v.
serve as the captain of.
Derivative
Etymology
ME: from OFr. capitain (superseding earlier chevetaigne ‘chieftain’), from late L. capitaneus ‘chief’, from L. caput, capit- ‘head’.