cap
kap
Cap (noun) means a soft, close-fitting hat, often with a brim or peak, and no full brim all the way round. Example: “He pulled his baseball cap low to shade his eyes.”
noun
1
A soft, close-fitting hat, often with a brim or peak, and no full brim all the way round.
"He pulled his baseball cap low to shade his eyes."
"She wore a wool cap against the winter cold."
"The boy wore a red cap to keep the sun off his face."
2
A cover or seal that fits over the top or end of something to protect or close it.
"Don't forget to put the cap back on the pen."
"The bottle cap was rusted shut."
"Screw the cap on tightly so the juice does not leak."
3
An upper limit set on an amount, price, or quantity.
"The city imposed a cap on rent increases."
"There is a cap on how many tickets one person can buy."
"The gym has a cap on membership to avoid overcrowding."
4
Informal: an exaggeration or outright lie.
""I ran a marathon in two hours" — that's cap, and you know it."
"He says he met a famous singer, but that's total cap."
"No cap, that was the best pizza I have ever eaten."
verb
1
To put a cover on something, or to set an upper limit on it.
"The company capped bonuses at ten percent of salary."
"She capped the marker so it wouldn't dry out."
"Organisers capped the number of runners to keep the road safe."
2
Informal: to lie or exaggerate.
"Stop capping — you weren't even there."
"Are you capping again? I saw you at home all evening."
"She was just capping when she said she could speak five languages."
How to use cap
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often a soft hat, a protective cover, or a maximum limit — plus, in slang, a lie.
Common mistake
The slang sense (lie/exaggeration) is very informal — don't use it in formal writing.
Memory tip
If someone says "no cap," they mean "no lie, I'm serious" — the opposite is "that's cap."
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
baseball cap
price cap
cap on spending
no cap
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Word forms
- Plural
- caps
- Third person singular
- caps
- Past tense
- capped
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He pulled his baseball _____ low to shade his eyes.
Etymology
From Old English cæppe ("hood, head-covering"), itself borrowed from Late Latin cappa. The same root eventually gave English "cape," "cope," and "chapel."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “cap” mean?
The word “cap” means a soft, close-fitting hat, often with a brim or peak, and no full brim all the way round. In plain terms, most often a soft hat, a protective cover, or a maximum limit — plus, in slang, a lie.
How do you pronounce “cap”?
“Cap” is pronounced kap (/kæp/ in IPA).
How do you use “cap” in a sentence?
Here is “cap” used in a sentence: “He pulled his baseball cap low to shade his eyes.”
What part of speech is “cap”?
Depending on how it is used, “cap” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “cap” come from?
The word “cap” comes from Late Latin. From Old English cæppe ("hood, head-covering"), itself borrowed from Late Latin cappa. The same root eventually gave English "cape," "cope," and "chapel.".
Is “cap” a common word?
“Cap” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “cap” have?
“Cap” has 6 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a soft, close-fitting hat, often with a brim or peak, and no full brim all the way round.
What is the difference between a cap and a hat?
Hat is the general word for any head covering, and a cap is one particular kind. A cap is soft and close-fitting, usually with a peak or short brim at the front rather than a full brim all the way round. So every cap is a hat, but not every hat is a cap.
What are the different types of cap?
Everyday styles include the baseball cap with its curved peak, the flat cap and its cousin the newsboy, the knitted beanie, and the beret. There are also uniform and military caps, swimming caps, and skull caps. What they share is a snug fit and the absence of a full surrounding brim.
What is the difference between a cap and a beanie?
Both are soft, close-fitting caps, but they differ in shape and material. A beanie is a knitted, brimless cap that hugs the head for warmth. A cap in the usual sense, like a baseball cap, has a stiff peak at the front. In short, a beanie is a brimless, snug type of cap.
What is the peak of a cap called?
The stiff projecting part at the front that shades the eyes is called the peak in British English and the bill or visor in American English. It is the feature that sets caps like the baseball cap apart from brimless styles, helping to shield the face from sun and rain.
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