captain 
captain (kap'tan), p. t. [< i-ii/itiiin, n.] To act 
as leader to: I M> captain over; command. 
It wa.4 natural that IN- n u ho , ,i/,t,ii l i' <l or arrompiinii-'l 
tin- evtiln.s liniii eMHtini; form* ami association* into tin- 
dollhtflll ll-iltll-rllt'.ss tllllt led to till' promi.-*ell lalnl HllOUld 
lin.l more to their |iill].o,r in tin- "M IV-tann-nt tllllll iu 
till- \.-\l. /,"">//, \!lloll^ [111 llook^. !>t >'T., p. 'its. 
captaincy (kap'tan-si). . ['< <-aptain + -cy.] 
Tilt' rank, post, or commission of a captain. 
captaincy-general (kap'tiui- Hi -jcn'ji-ral). . 
[C f(l 1 1 til in i'i/ + i/i ill-nil. IT. Sp. 1'ii/iitiiiiiii ;/' - 
Hi-nil. \ The office or jurisdiction of a eaptain- 
general; specifically, one of tho military divi- 
sions of Spain. Also riiptitiit-oi-iit-mtci/. 
captainess (kap'tan-es). . [< captain + -ess. 
Ct.clniJ'tinnisx.] \ female commander. [Rare.] 
(hit! traitor \lKi-in-e 1 I lan-st tlnm counsel me 
From my ilt-itr ('ni>t<tiiu'>m to run away? 
0Vr /'. Sifltfi/, in Arber's KIIK. Garner, I. 547. 
captain-general (kap'tan-jen'e-ral), . [<</'- 
tit in + i/i inni/. Cf. Sp. capitan general.] The 
commauder-iu-chief of an army or of the mili- 
tia; specifically, tho commander of a military 
division in Spain. 
Tile magnanimous uml most illustrious . . . captain- 
general ot the Grecian army, Agamemnon. 
.s'/m*., T. and C., iii. :!. 
[The governor of Rhode Island is hy title captain-general 
and commandtT-in-chlef of the military and naval forces 
of the State.) 
captain-generalcy (kap ' tan - jen ' e - ral - si), n. 
[< i-<i/iiiiiii~iji iii-nil + -cy.~] Same as captaincy- 
i/< in nit. 
captain-lieutenantt (kap'tan-lu-ten'ant), n. 
Formerly, in Great Britain, an officer who, with 
the rank of captain and pay of a lieutenant, 
commanded a company or troop. The first or 
colonel's company of a regiment of infantry was 
commanded by a captain-lieutenant. 
captainlyt (kap'tan-li), a. [< captain + -ly 1 .] 
IVrtaining to or befitting a captain. 
captain-pasha, capitan-pacha (kap'tan-, kap*- 
i-tan-pash'a), n. [< captain or cajtitan (repr. 
Turk, qaptan or qapwlan (kaptan, kapudan) 
-posAa) + pasha: see captain and pasha.] 
Formerly, the colloquial title of the Turkish 
minister of marine, and of the chief admiral of 
the Turkish fleet. Also written capudan-pasha. 
captainryt (kap'tan-ri), n. [< F. capitainerie, 
< ML. capitaneria, captainship, < capitanm : 
see captain.] The power or command over a 
certain district ; chieftainship. Spenser. 
captainship (kap'tan-ship), . [< captain + 
-ship.] 1. The office of captain, or of chief 
commander. 
Therefore, so please thee to return with us, 
And of our Athens (thine and ours) to take 
The captainship. Shak., T. of A., v. 2. 
2f . The command of a clan or government of 
a certain district; chieftainship. 
To diminish the Irish lords he did abolish their . . . 
xtaurped captainships. Sir J. Dairies, State of Ireland. 
3. Skill as a captain or leader: as, he displayed 
good captainxhip. 
captal (kap'tal), n. [Pr., < L. capitalis, chief: 
see capital 1 .] A medieval title of dignity and 
military authority in the south of France : as, 
the Captal de Buch fought on the English side 
in Gascony, etc., under Edward III. 
Captantes' (kap-tan'tez), . pi. [ML., pi. of L. 
capta>i(t-)s, ppr. of capture, take, catch: see 
captation.'] Same as Baptores. A.E.Brchm. 
captation (kap-ta'shon), n. [< L. captalin(n-), 
a reaching after something, < captare, pp. i-iifi- 
tatux, reach after, desire eagerly, allure, freq. 
of capere, pp. captus, take, seize : see capable.] 
1*. The act or practice of gaining favor or ap- 
plause by flattery or address. Eikon Basilikc. 
2. A name given by Descourtis to the open- 
ing stage of the hypnotic or mesmeric trance. 
Sometimes called fascina Hon. 
caption (kap'shon), n. [< L. cantio(n-), a tak- 
ing, seizing, fraud, deceit, fallacy, < capere, 
pp. captn.i, take: see capable.] 1. Seizure; cap- 
ture; taking; catching. [Rare.] 2f. Captious 
or specious arguments or caviling; the act of 
caviling or taking exception; sophism; quib- 
ble or quibbling. 
It is manifest that the use of this doctrine It for caption 
and contradiction. Bacon, Advancement of Learning, ii. 
I beseech you, sir, to consider with what strange cap- 
tion* you have gone about to delude your king and coun- 
try. ChiUingicorth, llelig. of Protestants, i. -L 
3. The act of taking or apprehending by a ju- 
dicial process. [Rare.] 4. In lair, a certifi- 
cate stating the time and place of executing a 
commission in chancery, or of taking a depo- 
sition, or of the finding of an indictment, and 
the court or authority before which such act 
811 
was performed, and such other particulars as 
are necessary to render it legal and valid, writ- 
ten upon or attached to the document to which 
it relates. 6. The heading or title of a legal in- 
strument orof a chapter, article, sect ion. or page: 
as, the caption of Genesis i. ; an editorial under 
tho caption "A new r'orce in Politics." [U.S.] 
Letters of caption, in ,-..(* (*(.<. a writ (now olwo- 
h-ti-l Nsueil at th, ii^tanee of a ereilitoi-. commanding: an 
olln-el- t-. take ami imprison a debtor or oi.lluant till he 
pai^ the.leM or |,. rfoniiH the ohllgation. See I,:,, 
- Process caption, in Scots laic, a summary warrant of 
incarceration for tin- purpose of forcing back a process, 
that is, the doenmetiN or any iloennieuT In-longing to a 
lawsuit, which may have been unduly uinl contumaciously 
retained by the party whose receipt stands therefor in 
til'' rolirt hooks. 
captious (kap'shus), a. [< F. captieux = Pr. 
capcios = Hp. Pg. capcioso = It. i-n/i:.iiio, <. L. 
i-'i/itiosvg, deceptive, fallacious, sophistical, < 
i-nptio(n-), deception, fallacy, sophism: seey>- 
tion. In def. 3 associated with capacious or 
capable, in the orig. sense 'taking': see capa- 
cionH.'} 1. Apt to notice and make much of un- 
important faults or defects ; disposed to find 
fault or raise objections ; prone to cavil ; diffi- 
cult to please ; faultfinding; touchy: as, & cap- 
tious man. 
A vulgar man is captious and jealous. Chesterfield. 
A captious skeptic in love, a slave to fretfulness and 
whim who lias no difficulties but of his own creating 
is a subject more fit for ridicule than compassion. 
Sheridan, The Rivals, Iv. 3. 
2. Proceeding from a faultfinding or caviling 
disposition ; fitted to harass or perplex ; censo- 
rious; carping; hence, insidious ; crafty: as, a 
captious question. 
Captious or fallacious ways of talking. Locke. 
With these modifications ami with all branches of the 
Government in political harmony, and in the absence of 
partisan incentive to captious obstruct ion, the law as It was 
left by the amendment of 188ft was much less destructive 
of executive discretion. Appletons A im. Cyc. , 188(5, p. 244. 
3*. Capable of receiving; capacious. 
Yet, in this captious and fntenible sieve, 
I still pour in the waters of my love. 
Shak., All's Well, i. S. 
4. Insnaring ; captivating. [Rare and humor- 
ous.] 
Away with despair, no longer forliear 
To fly from the captiout coquette. 
Byron, Hours of Idleness. 
= Syn. 1. Captiout, Carping, CavUina, faultfinding, hy- 
percritical, cr alihctl. testy, pettish, splenetic, all express 
unainiable temper and behavior, with, wrongheadedness. 
Captious expresses a disposition to catch at little or in- 
offensive things, and magnify them into great defects, af- 
fronts, etc. Carping is a strong word noting faultfinding 
that is both unreasonable and unceasing ; it applies more 
to criticism on conduct, while caviling applies to objec- 
tions to argument*, opinions, and the like : as, it is easier 
to cavil than to disprove. See petulant. 
He frequently found fault, was captious, and seemed 
ready for an outbreaking. Franklin, Autoblog., p. !_'. 
Avoid the censures of the caririny world. 
Shak., Rich. III., iii. 5. 
I write not to content each cavilling brain, 
But eyes of noblest spirits. 
Ford, Ded. of Honour Triumphant. 
captiously (kap'shus-li), adv. 1. In a cap- 
tious, critical, or faultfinding manner. 
Use your words as captitnmli/ as you can, in your arguing 
on one side, and apply distinctions on the other. Locke. 
2. So as to catch orinsnare; insnaringly; cap- 
tivatingly. [Rare.] 
captiousness (kap'shus-nes), . The quality 
of being captious ; disposition to find fault ; 
inclination to object ; peevishness. 
Captiousness is another fault opposite to civility. 
L,*kt , Education, 143. 
captivancet, [Also written captiraunce; < 
L. captivan(t-)s, ppr. otcnptirare, take captive : 
see captivate, .] Captivity. 
At length he spyde whereas that wof ., 
Whom he had reskewed from captiraunce 
Of his strong foe, lay tombled in the myre. 
Spetuer, Jf. Q-, III. viL 45. 
captivate (kap'ti-vat), v. t. ; pret. and pp. cap- 
ti rated, ppr. captiratina. [< L. captivatus, pp. 
of captirarc, take captive, < captirus, captive : 
see cuptirr, a. and r.J If. To seize by force, 
as an enemy in war, or anything belonging to 
an enemy ; capture ; take captive. 
The French king captivated to 
The English monarcke. 
Warner, Albion's England, v. 28. 
It does not institute a magnificent auction of finance, 
where captivated provinces come to general ransom, by 
bidding against each other. 
Burke, Conciliation with America. 
2f. To bring into bondage ; subdue ; place in 
subjection. 
l^'t us Christian men Arrant nothing contrary to the 
Scripture, but ever captivate our reason unto that. 
Fryth, Works, p. 18. 
captive 
He deserve* to be a slave that Is content to have the 
hi" i li of his will so cultivated. Ki*nn liasilikt. 
i;-nl uses not to captivate [in man] under a )irr|x-tiiall 
Childhood of prescription, Inn tni-t- him with tin- -ill ,,f 
reason to be his own chooser. Milton, Art-op < 
3. To overpower and hold liy excellence' or 
beauty; charm or lure by any means; engage 
the regard, esteem, or affections of; fascinate. 
Anon In rears upright, curvet* and leaps, 
Aa who should say " l>i. thus my strength Is tried ; 
And this I do to captivate the eye." 
Shak., Venus and Adonis, L 281. 
Wisdom MI raiilimtrs him with her appearance that he 
gives himself up to her. Adilimn, Guardian. 
I was captivated with the beauty and retirement of tin 
place. SUelf, Spectator, No. 514. 
It Is not merely what he [Chaucer] has to say, but <-\ < n 
more the agreeable way he has of saying It, that captivates 
our attention and gives him an assured place in litera- 
ture. Lowell, study Windows, p. MO. 
= Byn. 3. To enslave, enchant, lead captive, enamour, be- 
witch. 
captivatet (kap'ti-vat), a. [< L. captit-attu, 
pp. : see the verb.] Taken captive ; made pris- 
oner; fascinated; insnared. 
Wliat though I lie enthrall .1 .' . . . 
Tush ! women have been cajrtipate ere now. 
Shak., 1 Hen. \ I., v. ::. 
captivating (kap'ti-va-ting), p. a. [Ppr. of 
cn/itirate, r.] Having power to engage tne re- 
gard, esteem, or affections ; winning ; fasci- 
nating; bewitching. 
Her understanding excellent, her mind Improved, and 
her manners captivating. 
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, p. 160. 
captivation (kap-ti-va'shon), n. [< L. capti- 
ratio(n-), < captirare, take captive: see capti- 
vate, v.] The act of captivating; the state or 
condition of being captivated. 
The captivation of our understanding. 
/.';. ///', Remains, p. 21. 
captive (kap'tiv), a. and . [In earlier E. 
caitiff, now with different sense (see caitiff); 
= F. captif, fern, captire, OF. clictif, etc. (see 
caitiff), = Pr. captiu, caitiu =OCat. caitiu = OSp. 
captifo, Sp. eautito = Pg. catiro, captivo = It. 
cattito, < L. captivus, a captive, prop, adj., taken 
prisoner, < captus, pp. of capere, take, seize, 
capture, etc.: see capable.] I. a. 1. Made 
prisoner, as in war; kept in bondage or con- 
finement. 
When many times the captive Grecians fall, 
Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword, 
You bid them rise and live. Shak., T. and C., v. 3. 
The captive bird that sings within thy bow'r. 
Pope, Summer, L 46. 
2. Bound or held by other than physical means, 
as by the ties of love or other passion; capti- 
vated. 
My woman's heart 
Grossly grew captive to his honey words. 
Shak., Rich. III., IT. 1. 
3. Holding in confinement: as, captive chains. 
Captive balloon, see ballooni. TO take captive, 
to capture ; make a prisoner of. 
II. M. 1. One who is taken prisoner, espe- 
cially a prisoner taken in war oy an enemy; 
one taken and kept in confinement. 
Like captives bound to a triumphant car. 
Shak., 1 Hen. VI., I. 1. 
2. Figuratively, one who is charmed or sub- 
dued by beauty or excellence, by the lower 
passions of his own nature, or by the wiles of 
others ; one whose affections are seized, or who 
is held by strong ties of love or any other pas- 
sion. 
Yet hath he been my captive and my slave, 
And begg'd for that which Hum unask'd shalt have. 
Shak., Venus and Adonis, 1. 101. 
=8yn. 1. Prisoner, Captive. The word prisoner emphasizes 
the idea of restraint of liberty, but is not rhetorical or espe- 
cially associated with feeling: the jirinoner of war and the 
prisoner for crime may lie shut up in a prison, kept hi 
guards within denned limits, or given a restricted lilt-rty 
on parole. The word cajititv suggests licinu complete!.! in 
the power of another, whether confined or not ; it has come 
to In- a rhetorical word, suggesting helplessness and re- 
sulting unhappinc**. Captured soldiers under guard are 
strictly prisoner*, but are often and properly called m;>- 
tives. When we speak of a captive bird, we suggest its 
Ionium.' for liU-rty. Hie rights and interests of a prison- 
er are likely to be respected, but the rnjid'w may be abused 
or even sometimes sold into slavery. >*ee captivity. 
Come, Sleep : O Sleep ! the certain knot of peace, 
The baiting-place of wit, the lialm of wo.-. 
The poor man's wealth, the prisoners release, 
Th indifferent juilge lietween the high anil low. 
Sir I: Sidney, Astrophel and Stella, st 30. 
Go, see the captive bartered as a slave ! 
Crushed till his high, heroic spirit bleeds. 
Rogers, Pleasures of Memory, ii. 
captive i kap'tiv), r. t. ; pret. and pp. mptiint. 
ppr. captiving. [= F. captiver = Pr. capticar = 
