Meaning & Definition
noun
A soft, flat hat without a brim and usually with a peak.
He wore a baseball cap to shield his eyes from the sun.
A protective cover or lid for a container.
Make sure to put the cap back on the bottle after use.
A limit or upper boundary placed on something.
The government imposed a cap on carbon emissions to combat climate change.
An uppermost limit on a numeric value, commonly used in finance.
The company set a salary cap for all its employees.
verb
To cover or seal something with a cap.
Please cap the pen before putting it away.
To surpass or exceed a standard, limit, or maximum.
Their performance was so impressive that it capped all previous records.
To limit or restrict to a certain level or amount.
The bank decided to cap the number of loans for this quarter.
Etymology
From Old English 'cæppe', from Latin 'cāpīta', meaning 'head'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
to cap it all:
to complete something in a remarkable way.
cap off:
to finish something in a particular way.
cap-and-gown:
referring to the graduation attire.
put a cap on:
to limit or restrict something.
Slang Meanings
To lie or exaggerate.
He's capping if he thinks he can run that fast.
To express disbelief or call out a lie.
No cap, that story sounds made up.