Cappers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term often used to describe individuals or things that provide an upper limit or finish something; it can refer to accessories that complete a set or outfit; it may also denote a group or team that excels in a specific activity or sport
2. A term typically associated with elements that finalize or enhance an experience or object; it can pertain to items that serve as decorative or functional finishes; it might also refer to people who bring success or achievement in sporting events
3. A word used for components or participants that enhance or complete a scenario; it can signify accessories that perfect an arrangement; it can also refer to teams or players known for their outstanding performance in competition

Etymology: The word has a surprisingly tangled ancestry for something so ordinary. Its core, "cap," goes back through Middle English to Old English "cæppe," a word for a hood or covering for the head, borrowed into the Germanic languages from Late Latin "cappa," which meant a cloak or hooded garment. That Latin root is also the source of "cape" and "chaperone," so the family of words is a set of garments and coverings, not a set of jobs or contests. The "-er" ending is an agent suffix from Middle English, so "capper" originally named someone or something that caps, that is, puts a cover or top on something. From there the sense moved toward finishing a thing off. The word's modern uses, for a finishing touch or for a standout team or player, grow out of that idea of completing an arrangement with a crowning piece.

Synonyms: hatters, coverers, toppers