to catch a person, animal, or object and stop it from escaping
After a long chase, the police finally captured the thief in an alley.
The net fell and captured the rare parrot before it could fly away.
✦ Late Middle English from Latin ‘capturare’, from ‘captus’ (taken, seized).
to take control of a place, object, or goal, especially by force or in competition
The rebels captured the capital after weeks of fighting.
Our team must capture the flag to win the game.
to record an image, sound, or information so it can be used later
She captured the sunset on her phone and shared it online.
The security cameras captured clear footage of the break-in.
to make someone feel strong interest or emotion
The story captured the children’s imagination.
His speech captured the audience’s attention from the very beginning.
