an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
"After the sergeant and several lieutenants were reassigned, the captain took command of the platoon during the night patrol."
a policeman in charge of a precinct
"The captain ordered all officers to lock down the precinct after receiving reports of a major robbery at the bank."
an officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship
"The new captain arrived from London and immediately ordered the crew to check all the cargo manifests before setting sail."
the pilot in charge of an airship
"The captain maneuvered the blimp skillfully through the stormy sky to avoid crashing into the mountain peaks."
a dining-room attendant who is in charge of the waiters and the seating of customers
"The captain at the busy bistro personally guided us to our table before signaling the rest of the team to take our orders."
A chief or leader.
"The new captain of our company led the squad through a difficult training exercise yesterday."
An army officer title in most countries
In plain English: A captain is the person in charge of a team, ship, or aircraft who makes important decisions and leads everyone else.
"The captain ordered the ship to turn back due to the storm."
Usage: Use "captain" to refer to the commanding officer of a military unit, a ship, or a sports team who leads their group and makes key decisions. Do not use it for an army officer when you specifically mean the rank itself without the leadership context, as that is simply a title within a hierarchy.
be the captain of a sports team
"After years of leading the practice squad, Sarah finally earned her spot as captain of the varsity soccer team."
To act as captain
"The team elected Sarah to be captain for the upcoming tournament."
In plain English: To captain something means to take charge of it and lead the group.
"The captain steered the ship safely through the stormy night."
Usage: Use "captain" as a verb only when someone is officially appointed to lead a sports team or a ship. In casual conversation, people usually say "lead" or "command" instead of using this specific verb form.
The word captain entered English via Middle English and Old French, deriving from the Late Latin term for "pertaining to a head." Its root is the Latin caput, meaning "head," which shares an origin with the modern English word cap.