to cap
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To take off, or touch, one's cap to, in token of respect; also to excel. Well, that caps the globe. — C. BRONT£: Jane Eyre.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to cap” mean?
To take off, or touch, one's cap to, in token of respect; also to excel. Well, that caps the globe. — C. BRONT£: Jane Eyre.
Is “to cap” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.