How to Use 'Cap' as a Verb: Meaning & Examples

Meaning 1：put a cap on (cap)

cap 🔊

/kæp/

vt.

To put something on top of another thing, like placing a lid on a container.

Illustration of capping a water bottle: hands screwing a blue cap onto a clear bottle.

put a cap on 🔊

➕

/pʊt ə kæp ɒn/

vt.

To place a cap or lid onto something in order to close or secure it.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'cappa' meaning hood or head-covering.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of capping a bottle to stop a pop!

📖 Example

After drinking the water, she quickly capped the bottle to keep it clean. 🔊 She promptly placed the cap back on the bottle after drinking to maintain cleanliness.

🔗 Collocations

cap a bottle – To put a cap on a bottle

cap a pen – To put the cap on a pen

cap a tube – To seal a tube with a cap

🔄 Synonyms

top (vt.) – To put a top or cover on

seal (vt.) – To close tightly

cover (vt.) – To place something over

🚫 Antonyms

uncap (vt.) – To remove a cap from

open (vt.) – To make accessible by removing a cover

unseal (vt.) – To break or remove a seal

🌱 Derivatives

capped (adj.) – Having a cap or covered

capping (n.) – The action of putting a cap on

capful (n.) – The amount that a cap can hold

📖 Cultural Story

Cap derives from Latin 'cappa', a hood or cape. In medieval times, it evolved to mean a head-covering, later extended to any top cover like a lid.