Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A leap; a skip or spring, as in dancing or mirth, or in the frolic of a kid or lamb, or a child; hence, a sportive or capricious action; a prank.
  • To leap; skip or jump; prance; spring: as, to caper about (as a lamb or a child); “making a roan horse caper,” Tennyson, Lancelot and Elaine.
  • noun Nautical, a light-armed vessel of the seventeenth century, used by the Dutch for privateering.
  • noun A plant, Capparis spinosa, the buds of which (called capers) are much used as a condiment.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A frolicsome leap or spring; a skip; a jump, as in mirth or dancing; a prank.
  • noun to frolic; to make a sportive spring; to play a prank.
  • noun A vessel formerly used by the Dutch, privateer.
  • intransitive verb To leap or jump about in a sprightly manner; to cut capers; to skip; to spring; to prance; to dance.
  • noun The pungent grayish green flower bud of the European and Oriental caper (Capparis spinosa), much used for pickles.
  • noun (Bot.) A plant of the genus Capparis; -- called also caper bush, caper tree.
  • noun See Bran caper, in the Vocabulary.
  • noun a kind of sauce or catchup made of capers.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A vessel formerly used by the Dutch; privateer.
  • noun A frolicsome leap or spring; a skip; a jump, as in mirth or dancing; a prank.
  • noun A crime, especially theft, or a narrative about such a crime.
  • verb To leap or jump about in a sprightly manner; to cut capers; to skip; to spring; to prance; to dance.
  • noun Scotland the capercaillie.
  • noun The pungent grayish green flower bud of the European and Oriental caper (Capparis spinosa), which is pickled and eaten.
  • noun A plant of the genus Capparis

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement
  • noun any of numerous plants of the genus Capparis
  • noun pickled flower buds used as a pungent relish in various dishes and sauces
  • noun a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement
  • noun a playful leap or hop
  • noun a crime (especially a robbery)
  • verb jump about playfully

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Dutch kaper.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Shortening of capriole.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Shortening of capercaillie.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin capparis.

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