What does "caper" mean?
A playful leap or jump.
Caper
/ˈkeɪpɚ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A playful leap or jump.
- Grammar: caper is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: frolic, gambol, prank, antic.
- Useful contrasts: crawl, gravity, inactivity.
- Usage evidence: The book brings back hardboiled detective Tom Jackson for another caper involving drugs, murder, and intrigue.
How to use "caper"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "caper" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "caper" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "caper" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "caper" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "caper" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "frolic" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "caper", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A playful leap or jump.
- 2 The pungent grayish green flower bud of the European and Oriental caper (Capparis spinosa), which is pickled and eaten.
- 3 A vessel formerly used by the Dutch; privateer.
- 4 The capercaillie. Scotland
- 5 a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement wordnet
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 A jump while dancing.
- 7 A plant of the genus Capparis.
- 8 gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement wordnet
- 9 A prank or practical joke.
- 10 a playful leap or hop wordnet
- 11 Playful behaviour. plural-normally
- 12 a crime (especially a robbery) wordnet
- 13 A crime, especially an elaborate heist, or a narrative about such a crime. figuratively
"His caper had failed to find a comic resolution. Instead, there had been a genre switch, and the madcap adventure had turned serious. Or had this bleakness underlain the caper from the start?"
- 14 pickled flower buds used as a pungent relish in various dishes and sauces wordnet
- 15 any of numerous plants of the genus Capparis wordnet
Verb
- 1 To leap or jump about in a sprightly or playful manner.
"He capered before them down towards the fortyfoot hole, fluttering his winglike hands, leaping nimbly, Mercury’s hat quivering in the fresh wind that bore back to them his brief birdsweet cries."
- 2 jump about playfully wordnet
- 3 To jump as part of a dance.
- 4 To engage in playful behaviour.
Antonyms
Example
"The book brings back hardboiled detective Tom Jackson for another caper involving drugs, murder, and intrigue."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "caper"?
Common synonyms include: frolic, gambol, prank, antic, antic, anticked.
How do you use "caper" in a sentence?
The book brings back hardboiled detective Tom Jackson for another caper involving drugs, murder, and intrigue.
How do you pronounce "caper"?
Pronounced /ˈkeɪpɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Clipping of capriole.
Etymology 2
From Latin capparis, from Ancient Greek κάππαρις (kápparis).
Etymology 3
From Dutch kaper.
Etymology 4
Shortening of capercaillie.