Cap

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /kæp/

Definitions

1. An item worn on the head for protection or style ; a fixed upper limit on an amount or quantity ; to place a covering or lid on something ; to exceed or do better than a previous achievement
2. A headgear typically used to shield or decorate the head ; a set maximum allowed or imposed on resources or actions ; to cover or seal with a top or closure ; to outshine or go beyond someone or something in performance
3. A helmet-like object worn for safety or fashion ; a boundary or restriction that cannot be exceeded ; to close off by fitting a top onto an object ; to surpass an existing standard or record

Etymology: The noun "cap" for a head covering is ancient in English, reaching back to Old English "cæppe", a word for a hood or cape, which in turn came from late Latin "cappa", a cloak with a hood. The Latin word itself may have been a clipping of a longer term for a hooded garment, so the English noun is a much shorter descendant of the same idea of a covering for the head. The verb sense is the more surprising story. Over time "cap" came to mean topping or outdoing something, as if placing a cover over the top of another item, and from that grew the idea of a ceiling or limit placed on spending or payments. Its three-letter shape also led to many clipped forms, since English often shortens longer words that begin with the same sounds, which is part of why the word looks so small for its long lineage.

Synonyms: hat, lid, cover, top, peak

Antonyms: base, bottom, foundation, support, ground