noun
caper
KAY-puh
noun
1
A playful, high-spirited jump or leap.
"The puppy did a joyful caper across the lawn."
2
A carefully planned, often elaborate crime, especially a robbery — or a story about one.
"The film follows a gang plotting an elaborate casino caper."
"The heist caper kept audiences guessing until the final twist."
3
The small, pickled flower bud of the caper plant, used as a pungent, salty seasoning.
"She added capers to the pasta sauce for a briny kick."
verb
1
To leap or skip about playfully.
"The children capered around the garden in the first snow."
How to Use Caper
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA playful jump, an elaborate crime story, or (unrelated in modern use) a pickled flower bud used in cooking.
Common pairings
a heist caper
caper about
capers and lemon
Word Forms
capered past tense, capers plural, capers plural, capers plural, capers plural, capers singular
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Etymology
A shortened form of "capriole," a leaping movement, ultimately from Latin caper ("goat") — goats being known for their bouncy jumps.