Captain

See also: captain

English

Noun

Captain (plural Captains)

1. The honorific of a captain, especially a ship's captain or a person with the military rank of captain.

   These islands were discovered by Captain Cook.

   • 1906, Ida Lee, The Coming of the British to Australia, 1788 to 1829, Longmans, Green, and Co., page 100:

     […] the governor, convinced of the need of a thorough exploration of the south coast, now ordered Grant to return and carefully survey the bay between Cape Otway and Cape Schank, besides the land which had been seen by Captains Black and Buyers, then to sail to King George’s Sound and, in returning, to explore the whole south coast to Wilson’s Promontory, going to the head of every bay or inlet as far as possible.

2. (before a descriptive word or phrase) Forms a title for a superhero seen as embodying or possessing in high degree the qualities associated with the ensuing phrase

   Captain America; Captain Marvel; Captain Hindsight

3. (humorous or ironic) (by extension, from the superhero sense) Forms a title or nickname for a person; typically a nonce coinage
   • 2010 November 8, Paul Howes, Confessions Of A Faceless Man: Inside Campaign 2010‎^[1], Melbourne University Press, →ISBN, page 120:

     Abbott has this alter ego, Captain Creepy. I mean, if he's not chatting away to the nation about his daughters' virginity, he's using anti-rape slogans to belittle the female Prime Minister.

   • 2020 July 14, David Mitchell, Utopia Avenue‎^[2], Hachette UK, →ISBN:

     Dean asks, 'How'm I s'posed to empty my bloody pockets with my hands tied, Captain Genius?'

   • 2022, Elizabeth Davis, The Player Next Door‎^[3], Hachette UK, →ISBN:

     “Count me in,” he said to Brooks as Logan headed out. “And let's just hope Logan doesn't turn into another Captain Boring like Vince,” he added.

Synonyms

• (superhero name): -man, -woman
• (jocular nickname): Mister, Mc-

Derived terms

• Captain Ersatz
• Captain Obvious

Anagrams

• anti-cap, capitan, patican