CAPTURE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does capture mean? 

• CAPTURE (noun)
  The noun CAPTURE has 5 senses:

1. the act of forcibly dispossessing an owner of property

2. a process whereby a star or planet holds an object in its gravitational field

3. any process in which an atomic or nuclear system acquires an additional particle

4. the act of taking of a person by force

5. the removal of an opponent's piece from the chess board

  Familiarity information: CAPTURE used as a noun is common.

• CAPTURE (verb)
  The verb CAPTURE has 6 senses:

1. succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

2. attract; cause to be enamored

3. succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase

4. bring about the capture of an elementary particle or celestial body and causing it enter a new orbit

5. take possession of by force, as after an invasion

6. capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping

  Familiarity information: CAPTURE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CAPTURE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of forcibly dispossessing an owner of property

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

capture; gaining control; seizure

Hypernyms ("capture" is a kind of...):

acquiring; getting (the act of acquiring something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "capture"):

apprehension; arrest; catch; collar; pinch; taking into custody (the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal))

conquering; conquest; subjection; subjugation (the act of conquering)

enslavement (the act of making slaves of your captives)

usurpation (wrongfully seizing and holding (an office or powers) by force (especially the seizure of a throne or supreme authority))

Derivation:

capture (take possession of by force, as after an invasion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A process whereby a star or planet holds an object in its gravitational field

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("capture" is a kind of...):

action; activity; natural action; natural process (a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Any process in which an atomic or nuclear system acquires an additional particle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("capture" is a kind of...):

action; activity; natural action; natural process (a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings))

Derivation:

capture (bring about the capture of an elementary particle or celestial body and causing it enter a new orbit)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The act of taking of a person by force

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

capture; seizure

Hypernyms ("capture" is a kind of...):

felony (a serious crime (such as murder or arson))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "capture"):

abduction (the criminal act of capturing and carrying away by force a family member; if a man's wife is abducted it is a crime against the family relationship and against the wife)

kidnapping; snatch ((law) the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment)

Derivation:

capture (succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The removal of an opponent's piece from the chess board

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("capture" is a kind of...):

chess move (the act of moving a chess piece)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "capture"):

en passant ((chess) a chess pawn that is moved two squares can be captured by an opponent's pawn commanding the square that was passed)

exchange ((chess) the capture by both players (usually on consecutive moves) of pieces of equal value)

exchange ((chess) gaining (or losing) a rook in return for a knight or bishop)

• CAPTURE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they capture    ... he / she / it captures   
Past simple: captured   
Past participle: captured   
-ing form: capturing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

capture an idea

Hypernyms (to "capture" is one way to...):

interpret; represent (create an image or likeness of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "capture"):

recapture (take up anew)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Attract; cause to be enamored

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

becharm; beguile; bewitch; captivate; capture; catch; charm; enamor; enamour; enchant; entrance; fascinate; trance

Context example:

She captured all the men's hearts

Hypernyms (to "capture" is one way to...):

appeal; attract (be attractive to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "capture"):

hold (hold the attention of)

work (gratify and charm, usually in order to influence)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to capture Sue

Sense 3

Meaning:

Succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

capture; catch; get

Context example:

Did you catch the thief?

Hypernyms (to "capture" is one way to...):

clutch; prehend; seize (take hold of; grab)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "capture"):

lasso; rope (catch with a lasso)

recapture; retake (capture again)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

capture (the act of taking of a person by force)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Bring about the capture of an elementary particle or celestial body and causing it enter a new orbit

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

The star captured a comet

Hypernyms (to "capture" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

capture (any process in which an atomic or nuclear system acquires an additional particle)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Take possession of by force, as after an invasion

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

appropriate; capture; conquer; seize

Context example:

The militia captured the castle

Hypernyms (to "capture" is one way to...):

arrogate; assume; seize; take over; usurp (seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "capture"):

carry (capture after a fight)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something from somebody

Derivation:

capture (the act of forcibly dispossessing an owner of property)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

capture; catch

Context example:

I caught a rabbit in the trap today

Hypernyms (to "capture" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Verb group:

catch (take in and retain)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "capture"):

hunt; hunt down; run; track down (pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals))

frog (hunt frogs for food)

bag (capture or kill, as in hunting)

batfowl (catch birds by temporarily blinding them)

rat (catch rats, especially with dogs)

ensnare; entrap; snare; trammel; trap (catch in or as if in a trap)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

capturer (a person who captures and holds people or animals)

 Context examples 

The findings suggest that NM-MRI is capturing this dopamine dysfunction, supporting the role of NM-MRI as a potential biomarker for psychosis.

(Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI identified as a potential biomarker for psychosis, National Institutes of Health)

A procedure that captures pictures of blood flow throughout the heart muscle.

(Myocardial Perfusion Imaging, NCI Thesaurus)

Appearing during the planet's southern summer, the feature is the fourth and latest mysterious dark vortex captured by Hubble since 1993.

(Hubble Reveals Dynamic Atmospheres of Uranus, Neptune, NASA)

This domain captures the outcome of developmental milestone testing during a scheduled period of observation.

(Developmental Milestone Domain, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute have uncovered the function of a pair of plant genes that could help farmers improve phosphate capture, potentially reducing the environmental harm associated with fertilization.

(Plant gene discovery could help reduce fertilizer pollution in waterways, National Science Foundation)

Captured here by ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), this big galaxy is thought to be up to 15 percent larger in diameter than the Milky Way.

(A Galaxy on the Edge, ESO)

He had distinguished himself, and early gained the other step in rank, and must now, by successive captures, have made a handsome fortune.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

The tool's name refers to the fine, almost invisible, "mist nets" with which ornithologists capture migratory songbirds.

(Using artificial intelligence to track birds' dark-of-night migrations, National Science Foundation)

NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) has captured an extreme and rare event in the regions immediately surrounding a supermassive black hole.

(NuSTAR sees rare blurring of black hole light, NASA)

As the FUS protein condenses (from droplets to gel) it captures RNA and transfers it to remote parts of the neuron that are involved in making connections (known as synapses) with other neurons.

(Mechanism behind neuron death in motor neurone disease and frontotemporal dementia discovered, University of Cambridge)