captures
captures — verb
- capturespresent simple I / you / we / they
- captureses3rd person singular
- capturesing-ing form
- capturesedpast simple
1. to seize and hold a person or animal against their will, or to take control of a
to seize and hold a person or animal against their will, or to take control of a place using force, especially during a war or police operation
Government soldiers captured the rebel leader after a two-day search in the mountains.
passive: be captured + by [agent]
The police captured the escaped prisoner near the old train station.
The army captured the port city after three weeks of heavy fighting.
Local fishermen captured a large shark in their net off the coast of Hualien.
文法句型
capture + noun phrase (person/place/thing)
用法筆記
Frequently used in passive constructions: be captured by. The object can be a person (prisoner, suspect), an animal, or a place (city, territory).
常見錯誤
2. to obtain something desirable by defeating competitors who are trying to get the
to obtain something desirable by defeating competitors who are trying to get the same thing
The company captured thirty percent of the smartphone market within two years of launching.
collocation: capture + [percentage] of the market
Tomás captured first prize in the science fair with his clean water project.
The new streaming service captured millions of subscribers in its first year.
Hiro's restaurant captured the local food award three years in a row for its ramen.
- lose
to fail to get something that was competed for
文法句型
capture + noun phrase (market/prize/award)
用法筆記
Common in business and competitive contexts. The object is typically a market share, prize, award, or group of customers. Not used for natural resources or territory — see Sense 1.
常見錯誤
3. to represent or show a feeling, quality, or moment exactly and successfully thro
to represent or show a feeling, quality, or moment exactly and successfully through art, words, or performance
The documentary captures the fear and sadness of families living through the earthquake.
capture + emotion (fear, sadness, joy)
The writer captures the close bond between the two sisters with honesty and warmth.
Roya's painting captures the soft golden light of a summer evening in the countryside.
The actor's performance captures the loneliness of a man living far from his family.
文法句型
capture + noun phrase (feeling/moment/essence)
用法筆記
The subject is typically a work of art, a performance, or a piece of writing. The object is abstract: a feeling, atmosphere, quality, or moment in time. Distinguish from Sense 4 (photograph), which uses a camera — this sense works for any medium.
常見錯誤
4. to create a visual record of a person, scene, or event with a camera, phone, or
to create a visual record of a person, scene, or event with a camera, phone, or other device
Tourists captured the sunset over the old temple on their phones.
collocation: capture + [scene] on [device]
The journalist captured amazing footage of the volcano erupting at dawn.
Amelia captured a rare blue bird on film during her trip to the rainforest.
Security cameras captured two men breaking into the shop just after midnight.
- photograph
more formal; specifically for still images
- record
can include video and audio
- shoot
informal; common in photography and filmmaking
文法句型
capture + noun phrase (image/scene/footage) + on/in [device]
用法筆記
Very common in everyday speech about photography and videography. The device (camera, phone, CCTV) is often mentioned as part of the context.
常見錯誤
5. to take in and store information electronically by a computer, sensor, or other
to take in and store information electronically by a computer, sensor, or other device
The software captures every keystroke and saves the data in a log file.
computing: capture + data/information
The sensor captures temperature readings once every ten seconds throughout the day.
The system captures users' email addresses when they sign up for the free trial.
This tool captures screenshots of your entire screen whenever you click the button.
文法句型
capture + noun phrase (data/information/input)
用法筆記
Common in computing and technology contexts. The subject is usually a computer, sensor, scanner, or piece of software. The object is data, information, or a digital record.
常見錯誤
6. to cause someone to become completely fascinated by something, holding their att
to cause someone to become completely fascinated by something, holding their attention or sparking their curiosity
The children's adventure story captured the imagination of readers across the world.
collocation: capture someone's imagination
The mayor's speech captured everyone's attention from the very first sentence.
collocation: capture someone's attention
The unusual design of the building captured the interest of architects visiting Taipei.
The mystery novel captured Reuben's imagination so much that he finished it in one night.
- bore
to make someone lose interest
文法句型
capture + noun phrase (attention/imagination/interest)
用法筆記
Almost always used with one of three abstract objects: attention, imagination, or interest. The subject can be a story, idea, performance, event, or design — something that fascinates people.
常見錯誤
captures — noun
- capturessingular
- capturesesplural
1. the act of seizing a person, animal, or place by force, especially during a mili
the act of seizing a person, animal, or place by force, especially during a military or police operation
The capture of the city marked a major turning point in the war.
noun: the capture of + [place]
The prisoner's capture happened while he was trying to cross the border.
The capture of the stolen paintings made the front page of every newspaper.
The police announced the successful capture of the gang's leader early this morning.
- release
the act of setting someone free
文法句型
the capture of + noun phrase (person/place)
用法筆記
Often follows 'the capture of' + noun phrase. Can be used in both military contexts (territory) and law enforcement contexts (suspects).
2. the activity of gathering a resource from nature, such as rainwater or sunlight,
the activity of gathering a resource from nature, such as rainwater or sunlight, for later use or to prevent harm
The capture of rainwater helps farmers grow crops during the dry season.
noun: capture of + natural resource
New solar panels have greatly improved the capture of energy from sunlight.
Carbon capture technology is seen as essential for reducing air pollution.
Methods for the capture of wind energy have become much more efficient in recent years.
- collection
more general; does not emphasise the technical process
- harvesting
suggests gathering a useful resource deliberately
文法句型
the capture of + natural resource (rainwater/solar energy/carbon)
用法筆記
Primarily used in environmental and engineering contexts. Common in compound phrases like 'carbon capture', 'rainwater capture', 'energy capture'. Not used for everyday collection of objects.
3. the process of saving visual, audio, or digital material using equipment such as
the process of saving visual, audio, or digital material using equipment such as a camera, microphone, or computer
The capture of high-quality video requires a steady camera and good lighting.
noun: capture of + [image/video/sound]
Motion capture technology helps animators create realistic movements in films and games.
technical term: motion capture
Data capture for the research project took the team three months to complete.
The capture of clear sound in a large hall is difficult without professional microphones.
- recording
more general term for any saved media
- acquisition
very formal; common in technical contexts like 'data acquisition'
文法句型
the capture of + image/sound/data
motion capture
用法筆記
Common in compounds: 'motion capture', 'video capture', 'data capture', 'audio capture'. The focus is on the technical process, not the result.
常見錯誤
4. a photograph, especially when sharing or commenting on one posted online
a photograph, especially when sharing or commenting on one posted online
Great capture! The colours in this photo of the sunset are amazing.
informal social media: 'great capture!'
Sofia posted a beautiful capture of the city skyline at night on Instagram.
That is a stunning capture — the light on the water looks magical.
The photographer shared a new capture from her trip to the mountains in Switzerland.
文法句型
[adjective] + capture
great capture!
用法筆記
Very common on social media platforms as a compliment or label for a photo. Often appears in comments ('Great capture!', 'Nice capture!'). Less formal than 'photograph'.
常見錯誤
5. the process by which a computer or electronic device receives and stores informa
the process by which a computer or electronic device receives and stores information
Automatic data capture reduces the amount of paperwork that employees need to handle.
computing: data capture
The capture of user information happens when customers create an account on the website.
Barcode capture at the warehouse speeds up the shipping process considerably.
Digital signature capture allows contracts to be completed without printing any paper.
- collection
less technical; can refer to manual or automatic gathering
- acquisition
very formal technical term
文法句型
[noun] + capture
data capture
用法筆記
Distinguish from Sense 3: this sense is specifically about the computing process of capturing digital information (data, signatures, barcodes), while Sense 3 covers images, sound, and general multimedia recording.
6. a move in chess or similar board games where a player takes one of the opposing
a move in chess or similar board games where a player takes one of the opposing side's pieces off the board
Yael's capture of her opponent's queen won her the chess match in just fifteen moves.
chess: capture of + [piece]
The player threatened a capture that would leave the rival king completely exposed.
A good chess player always thinks several moves ahead before making a capture.
Tomás lost the game because he missed an easy capture early in the match.
- take
the standard verb used in chess; less formal than 'capture'
文法句型
make a capture
capture of + [chess piece]
用法筆記
Primarily used in chess, checkers, and similar strategy board games. Not used for card games or video games unless they involve piece removal on a board.