caper

Origin:
1585–95; figurative use of Latin caper he-goat (cognate with Old English hæfer, Old Norse hafr, Old Irish caera sheep < a West IE term *kap-(e)ro- for a domesticated smaller animal); for the meaning, cf. dog (v.)

Related forms

ca·per·er, noun

ca·per·ing·ly, adverb

un·ca·per·ing, adjective

Synonyms
3. stunt, antic, shenanigans. 4. spree, frolic.

Dictionary.com Unabridged

noun

a spiny shrub, Capparis spinosa, of Mediterranean regions, having roundish leaves and solitary white flowers.

its flower bud, which is pickled and used for garnish or seasoning.

Compare caper family.

Origin:
1350–1400; back formation from capers (taken for plural), Middle English caperes < Latin capparis < Greek kápparis

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To Caper

Collins

World English Dictionary

caper¹ (ˈkeɪpə)

—n
1.	a playful skip or leap
2.	a high-spirited escapade
3.	cut a caper, cut capers
	a. to skip or jump playfully
	b. to act or behave playfully; frolic
4.	slang a crime, esp an organized robbery
5.	informal (Austral) a job or occupation
6.	informal (Austral) a person's behaviour

—vb
7.	(intr) to leap or dance about in a light-hearted manner

[C16: probably from capriole]

'caperer¹

—n

'caperingly¹

—*adv*

caper² (ˈkeɪpə)

—n
1.	a spiny trailing Mediterranean capparidaceous shrub, Capparis spinosa, with edible flower buds
2.	bean caper See also capers any of various similar plants or their edible parts

[C15: from earlier capers, capres (assumed to be plural), from Latin capparis, from Greek kapparis]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

caper

1580s, probably from It. capriolare "jump in the air" (see cab). Meaning "prank" is from 1840s; that of "crime" is from 1926. To cut capers is c.1600.

caper

1382, from L. capparis, from Gk. kapparis, of uncertain origin. The final -s was mistaken for pl. inflection in Eng. and dropped.

Slang Dictionary

caper definition

[ˈkepɚ]

n.
any stunt or event; a trick or a scam. : That little caper the kids did with the statue from the town square was a dandy.
n.
a criminal job: theft, kidnapping, blackmail, etc. (Underworld.) : The black and whites pulled up right in the middle of the caper.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences

The movie is a caper without playfulness or wit-it's accomplished but not much fun.

It was a breeding herd-all shapes and sizes of elephants pouring out of the caper bushes.

Needless to say, this not exactly capering caper goes murderously awry.

Add tuna, anchovies and caper brine to the mixture, then beat to incorporate.

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skip bean caper cabrito caper spurge caprine cavort

Matching Quote

"unless I can shake myself free of my dog, my flag,
of my desk, my mind, I find life a bit of a drag.
Not always, mind you. Usually I'm like my frying pan
useful, graceful, sturdy and with no caper, no plan."

-Anne Sexton