I. ˈkap-chər, -shər noun
Etymology: Middle French, from Latin captura, from captus
Date: circa 1542
1. : an act or instance of capturing: as
a. : an act of catching, winning, or gaining control by force, stratagem, or guile
b. : a move in a board game (as chess or checkers) that gains an opponent's piece
c. : the absorption by an atom, nucleus, or particle of a subatomic particle that often results in subsequent emission of radiation or in fission
d. : the act of recording in a permanent file
data capture
2. : one that has been taken (as a prize ship)
II. transitive verb
( cap·tured ; cap·tur·ing ˈkap-chə-riŋ, ˈkap-shriŋ)
Date: 1574
1.
a. : to take captive ; also : to gain control of especially by force
capture a city
b. : to gain or win especially through effort
captured 60 percent of the vote
2.
a. : to emphasize, represent, or preserve (as a scene, mood, or quality) in a more or less permanent form
at any such moment as a photograph might capture — C. E. Montague
b. : to record in a permanent file (as in a computer)
3. : to captivate and hold the interest of
4. : to take according to the rules of a game
5. : to bring about the capture of (a subatomic particle)
Synonyms: see catch