Capture: Taking Hold of a Person, a Piece, or a Moment
To capture is to take by force, or to record something so it can be kept. Chess pieces, escaped animals, market share and photographs are all captured.
Capture began as a word about seizing people and has spread everywhere. Its most modern sense is the gentlest: to capture a moment, a mood or a likeness is simply to record it well enough that it does not escape.
- To take by force. *The town was captured in a day.*
- To catch an animal or person. *The escaped lynx was captured unharmed.*
- To record or represent. *The photograph captures her exactly.*
- To take an opponent's piece. *Capture the knight with the bishop.*
- To gain a share. *They captured a third of the market.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | capture | Capture the flag. |
| Noun | capture | The capture of the fort. |
| Adjective | captured | Captured documents. |
| Noun | recapture | The recapture of the city. |
| Compound | data capture | Automated data capture. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The image captures the mood of the crowd.Recording sense, very common in reviews.
- Carbon capture stores emissions underground.A technical term now in general news use.
- He captured the queen on the fourteenth move.Chess.
Capture, catch, seize and arrest
- Capture — take and hold, often after pursuit
- Catch — the everyday word, and can be accidental
- Seize — take suddenly and forcibly, often of property
- Arrest — take into legal custody, with authority to do so
From Latin *captura*, a catching, from *capere*, to take. English had the noun before the verb; the verb only became common in the eighteenth century, and the recording sense is largely a product of photography.
Capture or captivate?
Capture takes hold of a thing or an image. Captivate charms a person's attention. *Captured my imagination* is a common blend of the two.
What is motion capture?
Recording an actor's movement digitally so it can drive an animated character.