cap

cap

I. cap¹ S3 /kæp/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 900-1000; Language: Late Latin; Origin: cappa 'covering for the head, cloak', perhaps from Latin caput 'head']

1. HAT
a) a type of flat hat that has a curved part sticking out at the front, and is often worn as part of a uniform:
a baseball cap
old men in flat caps
a chauffeur’s peaked cap
b) a covering that fits very closely to your head:
a swimming cap
a shower cap
c) a type of simple hat that fits very closely to your head, worn especially by women in the past:
a white lace cap
COVERING a protective covering that you put on the end or top of an object SYN top:
Make sure you put the cap back on the pen.
a bottle cap
3. LIMIT an upper limit that is put on the amount of money that someone can earn, spend, or borrow:
a cap on local council spending
4. SPORT British English
a) if a sportsperson wins a cap or is given a cap, he or she is chosen to play for their country:
He won his first England cap against Wales in 1994.
b) a sportsperson who has played for his or her country:
Mason is one of two new caps in the team.
5. SMALL EXPLOSIVE a small paper container with explosive inside it, used especially in toy guns
6. SEX a ↑contraceptive made of a round piece of rubber that a woman puts inside her ↑vagina SYN diaphragm
7. go cap in hand (to somebody) British English, go hat in hand American English to ask for money or help in a very respectful way, from someone who has a lot more power than you:
Elderly people should receive a heating allowance every winter, instead of having to go cap in hand to the government.
⇨ ↑flat cap, ↑ice cap, ↑kneecap, ↑mob cap, ↑skull cap, ↑toecap, ⇨ a feather in your cap at ↑feather¹(2), ⇨ if the cap fits (, wear it) at ↑fit¹(8), ⇨ put your thinking cap on at ↑thinking¹(3)
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COLLOCATIONS
■ types of cap
▪ a baseball cap (=that people wear for baseball and for fashion) He was wearing a sweater and a baseball cap.
▪ a flat cap (also a cloth cap) British English (=made of cloth with a stiff piece that sticks out at the front) We saw an old man in a jacket and a brown flat cap.
▪ a peaked cap (=worn as part of a uniform) She wore a sailor's peaked cap.
▪ a swimming/bathing cap A swimming cap will stop you getting your hair wet.
▪ a shower cap (=worn to keep your hair dry when having a shower) There was a little bag containing soap, shampoo and a shower cap.
■ verbs
▪ wear a cap He was wearing a baseball cap.
▪ put on/take off/remove your cap He opened the door, took off his cap, and threw it on a hook.
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THESAURUS
▪ cover something that is put on or over something else to protect it, for example a piece of metal, plastic, or glass: a manhole cover | the cover that goes over the barbecue
▪ covering a layer of something, or a sheet of something, that covers something else: There was light covering of snow on the ground. | The hard shell acts as a protective covering. | the cloth coverings on the altar
▪ lid a cover for a container such as a pan or a box: the lid of the box | a saucepan lid
▪ top/cap the thing that you put on top of a bottle, tube, or pen, in order to prevent the liquid or other things inside from coming out: I can’t find the cap for the pen. | Put the top back on the milk! | the cap that goes on the toothpaste
▪ cork the top part that you put on top of a bottle of wine: Can you take off the cork for me?
▪ wrapping (also wrap especially American English) a sheet of paper, plastic etc that is put around something in order to cover or protect it: John tore the wrapping off his presents. | The lamp was still in its wrapping.
▪ wrapper a piece of paper or plastic that is put around something you buy, especially a small object: Put the candy wrappers in your pocket. | He took the drinking straw out of its wrapper.