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caper . In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
caper , but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
caper in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
caper you have here. The definition of the word
caper will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
caper , as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Clipping of capriole .
Noun
caper (plural capers )
A playful leap or jump .
A jump while dancing .
A prank or practical joke .
( usually in the plural ) Playful behaviour.
( figuratively ) A crime , especially an elaborate heist , or a narrative about such a crime.
2022 , Jennifer Egan , “i, the Protagonist”, in The Candy House :His caper had failed to find a comic resolution. Instead, there had been a genre switch, and the madcap adventure had turned serious. Or had this bleakness underlain the caper from the start?
Derived terms
Translations
playful leap
Bulgarian: подскачане (bg) n ( podskačane )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 雀躍 / 雀跃 (zh) ( quèyuè )
Czech: výskok (cs) m , poskok (cs) m
Dutch: kapriool c
Finnish: loikka (fi)
French: cabriole (fr) f
Hungarian: ugrálás (hu) , ugrabugrálás , ugrabugra (hu) , ugrándozás (hu)
Italian: sobbalzo (it) m , saltellamento m
Romanian: salt (ro) n , săritură (ro) f , tumbă (ro) f , țopăit (ro) n
Russian: скачо́к (ru) m ( skačók ) , прыжо́к (ru) m ( pryžók ) , коле́нце (ru) n ( kolénce )
Spanish: cabriola (es) f
Swedish: glädjesprång n , glädjeskutt n
Verb
caper (third-person singular simple present capers , present participle capering , simple past and past participle capered )
To leap or jump about in a sprightly or playful manner.
1922 February, James Joyce , “[Episode 1]”, in Ulysses , Paris: Shakespeare and Company , , →OCLC :He capered before them down towards the fortyfoot hole, fluttering his winglike hands, leaping nimbly, Mercury’s hat quivering in the fresh wind that bore back to them his brief birdsweet cries.
To jump as part of a dance.
To engage in playful behaviour.
Derived terms
Translations
jump about playfully
Bulgarian: подскачам (bg) ( podskačam ) , подрипвам (bg) ( podripvam )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 雀躍 / 雀跃 (zh) ( quèyuè )
Czech: poskakovat impf , křepčit impf
Dutch: opspringen (nl) , bokkesprong maken
Finnish: loikkia (fi) , pomppia (fi)
French: cabrioler (fr) , batifoler (fr)
Hebrew: לקפץ ( lekapétz )
Hungarian: ugrál (hu) , ugrabugrál (hu) , ugrándozik (hu)
Italian: saltellare (it)
Maori: pōteketeke , pōtēteke
Romanian: sări (ro) , zburda (ro) , țopăi (ro)
Russian: скака́ть (ru) ( skakátʹ )
Swedish: skutta (sv)
Ukrainian: підстрибувати ( pidstrybuvaty ) , підскакувати ( pidskakuvaty )
Etymology 2
From Dutch kaper .
Noun
caper (plural capers )
A vessel formerly used by the Dutch ; privateer .
Translations
Etymology 3
A caper bush.
From Latin capparis , from Ancient Greek κάππαρις ( kápparis ) .
Noun
caper (plural capers )
The pungent grayish green flower bud of the European and Oriental caper (Capparis spinosa ), which is pickled and eaten.
Synonym: caperberry
A plant of the genus Capparis .
Synonyms: caper bush , caper tree , caperberry
Derived terms
Translations
pickled bud of Capparis spinosa
Arabic: كَبَر (ar) m ( kabar ) , كَبَّار m ( kabbār ) , قَبَّار m ( qabbār ) , شَفَلَّح m ( šafallaḥ ) , لَصَف m ( laṣaf )
Aramaic:
Classical Syriac: ܩܲܦܵܪ m ( qappār ) , ܟܲܦܵܪ ( kappār ) , ܢܹܝܨܦܵܐ m ( nēṣp̄ā ) , ܦܲܪܚܵܐ m ( parḥā )
Catalan: tàpera f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 水瓜柳 ( shuǐguāliǔ )
Danish: kapers
Dutch: kappertje (nl) n
Esperanto: kaporo sg
Estonian: kappar
Finnish: kapris (fi) , kapriksen nuppu
French: câpre (fr) f
Georgian: ჯონჯოლი (ka) ( ǯonǯoli )
German: Kaper (de) f
Greek: κάπαρη (el) f ( kápari )
Ancient: κάππαρις f ( kápparis )
Hebrew: צָלָף (he) m ( ṣālā́p̄ )
Hungarian: kapribogyó (hu)
Icelandic: kapers (is)
Irish: capras m
Italian: cappero (it) m
Kazakh: please add this translation if you can
Korean: 케이퍼 ( keipeo )
Latin: capparis f
Norwegian: kapers pl
Persian: کبر (fa) ( kabar )
Polish: kapar (pl)
Portuguese: alcaparra (pt) f
Romanian: caperă (ro) f
Russian: ка́перс (ru) m ( kápers )
Scottish Gaelic: capar m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ка̏па̄р m , ка̏пра f
Roman: kȁpār (sh) m , kȁpra (sh) f
Sicilian: chiàpparu m
Slovene: kapra (sl) f
Spanish: alcaparra (es) f
Swedish: kapris (sv)
Turkish: gebre (tr)
Ukrainian: ка́перс m ( kápers )
Welsh: caprysen f , capryn m
Yiddish: קאַפּער m ( kaper )
plant
Arabic: كَبَر (ar) m ( kabar ) , كَبَّار m ( kabbār ) , قَبَّار m ( qabbār ) , شَفَلَّح m ( šafallaḥ ) , لَصَف m ( laṣaf )
Aramaic:
Classical Syriac: ܩܲܦܵܪ ( qappār ) , ܟܲܦܵܪ m ( kappār ) , ܢܹܝܨܦܵܐ m ( nēṣp̄ā ) , ܦܲܪܚܵܐ m ( parḥā )
Armenian: կապար (hy) ( kapar )
Old Armenian: կապար ( kapar )
Bulgarian: каперсник m ( kapersnik )
Catalan: taperera f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 水瓜柳 ( shuǐguāliǔ )
Czech: kaparovník trnitý
Finnish: kapris (fi)
German: Kapernstrauch m
Greek: κάπαρη (el) f ( kápari )
Ancient: κάππαρις f ( kápparis )
Hebrew: צָלָף (he) m ( ṣālā́p̄ )
Hungarian: kapri (hu)
Irish: tor caprais m
Italian: cappero (it) m
Kazakh: please add this translation if you can
Korean: 케이퍼 ( keipeo )
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: مارگیرە ( margîre )
Persian: کبر (fa) ( kabar ) , کبار (fa) ( kobbâr )
Polish: kapar (pl) m
Romanian: caper (ro) m
Russian: ка́перс (ru) m ( kápers )
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ка̏па̄р m , ка̏пра f
Roman: kȁpār (sh) m , kȁpra (sh) f
Spanish: alcaparro (es) m
Swedish: kapris (sv)
Turkish: gebre otu (tr)
Welsh: llwyn caprys m
Xhosa: intsihlo
Further reading
Etymology 4
Shortening of capercaillie .
Noun
caper (plural capers )
( Scotland ) The capercaillie .
Translations
See also
Anagrams
French
Etymology
From English cap + -er .
Pronunciation
Verb
caper
( finance ) to cap ( set a limit to )
( sports ) to cap ( award a player a cap for playing for their national team )
Conjugation
caper
avoir + past participle
capant /ka.pɑ̃/
ayant + past participle
capé /ka.pe/
indicative
je (j’)
tu
il, elle, on
nous
vous
ils, elles
(simple tenses)
present
cape /kap/
capes /kap/
cape /kap/
capons /ka.pɔ̃/
capez /ka.pe/
capent /kap/
imperfect
capais /ka.pɛ/
capais /ka.pɛ/
capait /ka.pɛ/
capions /ka.pjɔ̃/
capiez /ka.pje/
capaient /ka.pɛ/
past historic 2
capai /ka.pe/
capas /ka.pa/
capa /ka.pa/
capâmes /ka.pam/
capâtes /ka.pat/
capèrent /ka.pɛʁ/
future
caperai /ka.pʁe/
caperas /ka.pʁa/
capera /ka.pʁa/
caperons /ka.pʁɔ̃/
caperez /ka.pʁe/
caperont /ka.pʁɔ̃/
conditional
caperais /ka.pʁɛ/
caperais /ka.pʁɛ/
caperait /ka.pʁɛ/
caperions /ka.pə.ʁjɔ̃/
caperiez /ka.pə.ʁje/
caperaient /ka.pʁɛ/
(compound tenses)
present perfect
present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect
imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior 2
past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect
future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect
conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive
que je (j’)
que tu
qu’il, qu’elle
que nous
que vous
qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple tenses)
present
cape /kap/
capes /kap/
cape /kap/
capions /ka.pjɔ̃/
capiez /ka.pje/
capent /kap/
imperfect 2
capasse /ka.pas/
capasses /ka.pas/
capât /ka.pa/
capassions /ka.pa.sjɔ̃/
capassiez /ka.pa.sje/
capassent /ka.pas/
(compound tenses)
past
present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect 2
imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative
–
tu
–
nous
vous
–
simple
—
cape /kap/
—
capons /ka.pɔ̃/
capez /ka.pe/
—
compound
—
simple imperative of avoir + past participle
—
simple imperative of avoir + past participle
simple imperative of avoir + past participle
—
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en .
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
past historic → present perfect
past anterior → pluperfect
imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive
(Christopher Kendris , Master the Basics: French , pp. 77 , 78 , 79 , 81 ).
Indonesian
Etymology
From blend of cari ( “ seeking ” ) + perhatian ( “ attention ” ) , from calque of English attention-seeking .
Pronunciation
Adjective
capêr
( colloquial , acronym ) attention-seeking .
Further reading
Latin
Etymology
caper
From Proto-Italic *kapros , from Proto-Indo-European *kápros ( “ buck, he-goat ” ) .
Pronunciation
Noun
caper m (genitive caprī , feminine capra ) ; second declension
he-goat ( a male goat , a billy goat )
Synonyms: buccus , hircus
Declension
Second-declension noun (nominative singular in -er ).
Coordinate terms
Descendants
References
“caper ”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879 ) A Latin Dictionary , Oxford: Clarendon Press
“caper ”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891 ) An Elementary Latin Dictionary , New York: Harper & Brothers
caper in Gaffiot, Félix (1934 ) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français , Hachette.
“caper ”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898 ), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities , New York: Harper & Brothers
“caper ”, in William Smith, editor (1848 ), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology , London: John Murray
Middle French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin capere .
Verb
caper
to seize
Conjugation
Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
Conjugation of caper
caper
avoir + past participle
capant
present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
capé
indicative
ie (i’)
tu
il, elle
nous
vous
ilz, elles
(simple tenses)
present
cape
capes
cape
capons
capez
capent
imperfect
capois , capoys
capois , capoys
capoit , capoyt
capions , capyons
capiez , capyez
capoient , capoyent
past historic
capa
capas
capa
capasmes
capastes
caperent
future
caperai , caperay
caperas
capera
caperons
caperez
caperont
conditional
caperois , caperoys
caperois , caperoys
caperoit , caperoyt
caperions , caperyons
caperiez , caperyez
caperoient , caperoyent
(compound tenses)
present perfect
present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect
imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior
past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect
future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect
conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive
que ie (i’)
que tu
qu’il, qu’elle
que nous
que vous
qu’ilz, qu’elles
(simple tenses)
present
cape
capes
cape
capons
capez
capent
imperfect
capasse
capasses
capast
capassions
capassiez
capassent
(compound tenses)
past
present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect
imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative
–
tu
–
nous
vous
–
simple
—
cape
—
capons
capez
—
compound
—
simple imperative of avoir + past participle
—
simple imperative of avoir + past participle
simple imperative of avoir + past participle
—
Norwegian Bokmål
Noun
caper m
indefinite plural of cape
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian cappero .
Noun
caper m (plural caperi )
caper ( a plant )
Declension
Swedish
Noun
caper
indefinite plural of cape