DictionaryRoot: capere
Latin
capere
take, hold, seize
Forms
- cap-
- capt- — Latin stem of the form meaning ‘taken.’
- -cip- — Latin stem used in compounds.
- -cept- — Stem of the form meaning ‘taken’ in Latin compounds.
- -ceive — Developed through French in verbs borrowed into English.
Origin
Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *kap-, ‘grasp.’
Note
Taking something into the mind was already a Latin metaphor.
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noun
captor
KAP-ter/ˈkæptər/
A person who captures or holds someone prisoner.
Etymology
A captor is literally a taker or catcher. In the prisoner sense, taking someone by force or trickery connects the act of seizure with holding that person afterward.
Related word entries
- accept
- acceptable
- acceptance
- anticipate
- anticipation
- capable
- caption
- captive
- captor
- capture
- conceiveBeginning pregnancy
- conceiveMental ideas
- concept
- conceptionBeginning of pregnancy
- conceptionFormation of an idea
- conceptual
- deceit
- deceive
- deception
- deceptive
- emancipate
- emancipation
- except
- exceptionObjection or offense
- exceptionDeparture from a rule
- forceps
- interception
- interceptor
- municipal
- municipality
- occupant
- occupationJob or profession
- occupationMilitary control
- occupy
- participant
- participate
- perceive
- perceptible
- perception
- precept
- preceptor
- prince
- princess
- principal
- receipt
- reception
- receptive
- receptor
- susceptible