caper

1 of 3

noun (1)

ca·​per ˈkā-pər How to pronounce caper (audio)
1
a
: an illegal or questionable act or escapade
With luck, Bobby Joe could have become a rich man. But lacking an excess of smarts to begin with, he had pulled off this caper largely due to the efforts of some brainier military personnel who set the thing up for him in Saigon.John Nichols
b
: an amusing movie or story about such an act or escapade
This offbeat, Runyonesque caper shows uncanny insight into the psychology of the con man and his all-too-willing victims.Sybil Steinberg
2
: a capricious escapade : prank
The boys were disciplined for their foolish capers.
3
: a frolicsome leap
He was so happy he cut a caper on the steps.
I feel as if I could be anything or everything; as if I could rant and storm, or sigh, or cut capers in any tragedy or comedy in the English language.Jane Austen

caper

2 of 3

verb

capered; capering ˈkā-p(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce caper (audio)

intransitive verb

: to leap or prance about in a playful manner
lambs capering in the meadow

caper

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: any of a genus (Capparis of the family Capparidaceae, the caper family) of low prickly shrubs of the Mediterranean region
especially : one (C. spinosa) cultivated for its buds
2
: one of the greenish flower buds or young berries of the caper pickled and used as a seasoning or garnish

Did you know?

Caper in Latin means "a male goat". Anyone who has watched a young goat frolic in a field or clamber onto the roof of a car knows the kind of crazy fun the English word caper —which is also a verb—is referring to. A capriole is a backward kick done in midair by a trained horse. Capricorn, meaning "horned goat", is a constellation and one of the signs of the zodiac. And a capricious act is one that's done with as little thought as a frisky goat might give it.

Examples of caper in a Sentence

Verb a young goat capering in its pen as summer drew to a close, the children spent their days wistfully capering on the beach
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This flavor is exceptional as the mackerel is soaked in olive oil and spices, and the capers give it a delicious bite. Grace McCarty, SELF, 13 Mar. 2024 In this hearty, colorful salad, cauliflower florets, slivers of red onion and briny capers are coated with spices and roasted until the florets turn soft and sweet, and the onions and capers get browned and crisp. Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 Spiced and roasted cauliflower florets join briny capers and sweet-sour pickled onions in this easy salad that will brighten even the bleakest days. Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Each is topped with tartar sauce featuring olives, capers and sweet relish, plus lettuce. Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2024 Also, North Atlantic cod dinner, hand cut, hand battered and golden fried, served with a classic Culver’s family recipe tartar sauce featuring olives, capers and sweet relish, your choice of two classic sides and a dinner roll. The Courier-Journal, 12 Feb. 2024 Festa confessed to the burglary a few years later, while cooperating with prosecutors at Donnerstag’s 1975 murder and burglary trial, telling the court that the caper had been at the behest of Imperiale, who at the time of the trial was a state senator. Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 29 Jan. 2024 And although the Coens have put more than a few luminous heroines on-screen—think Fargo or True Grit—Jamie and Marian are the kind of appreciably flawed, semi-charmed goofballs that are usually written as men in the brothers’ capers. David Sims, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2024 Try them in a Cold And Salty Orange Salad from former Times cooking columnist Ben Mims, who utilizes at least a few varieties of citrus along with punchy ingredients like capers, feta cheese and Castelvetrano olives. Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Verb
The plot dissolves into sheer lunacy (in both senses of the word), as the whole company comes out to caper in a park in the moonlight — ostensibly to frighten Falstaff, but really just for the unleashed joy of taking over a public space. Helen Shaw, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'caper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

probably by shortening & alteration from capriole

Noun (2)

back-formation from earlier capers (taken as a plural), from Middle English caperis, from Latin capparis, from Greek kapparis

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1588, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of caper was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near caper

Cite this Entry

“Caper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caper. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

caper

1 of 3 noun
ca·​per ˈkā-pər How to pronounce caper (audio)
: a pickled flower bud or young berry of a low prickly shrub of the Mediterranean region that is used as a seasoning

caper

2 of 3 verb
capered; capering -p(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce caper (audio)
: to leap about in a lively way

caper

3 of 3 noun
1
: a playful bounding leap or spring
2
: a playful or mischievous trick
3
: an illegal or questionable act
Etymology

Noun

from earlier capers "caper shrub or berry" (mistaken as a plural), from Middle English caperis (same meaning), from Latin capperis "caper shrub"

Verb

probably an altered form of English capriole "a playful leap, a leap by a trained horse," from early French capriole or early Italian capriola (both, same meaning), derived from Latin capreolus "goat, male deer"

More from Merriam-Webster on caper

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