- captain
-
I. noun
Etymology: Middle English capitane, from Anglo-French capitain, from Late Latin capitaneus, adjective & noun, chief, from Latin capit-, caput head — more at head
Date: 14th century
1.
a.
(1) a military leader ; the commander of a unit or a body of troops
(2) a subordinate officer commanding under a sovereign or general
(3) a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a first lieutenant and below a major
b.
(1) a naval officer who is master or commander of a ship
(2) a commissioned officer in the navy ranking above a commander and below a commodore and in the coast guard ranking above a commander and below a rear admiral
c. a senior pilot who commands the crew of an airplane
d. an officer in a police department or fire department in charge of a unit (as a precinct or company) and usually ranking above a lieutenant and below a chief
2. one who leads or supervises: as
a. a leader of a sports team or side
b. headwaiter
c. a person in charge of hotel bellhops — called also bell captain
3. a person of importance or influence in a field <captains of industry> • captaincy noun • captainship noun II. transitive verb Date: 1598 to be captain of ; lead <captained the football team>
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.