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By courtesy, an officer actually commanding a vessel, although not having the rank of captain.

The rank, post, or commission of a captain. Washington. Captaincy general, the office, power, teritory, or jurisdiction of a captain general; as, the captaincy general of La Habana (Cuba and its islands).

Power, or command, over a certain district; chieftainship. [Obs.]

The condition, rank, post, or authority of a captain or chief commander. "To take the captainship." Shak.

A captain of a war vessel whose name appeared, or was "posted," in the seniority list of the British navy, as distinguished from a commander whose name was not so posted. The term was also used in the United States navy; but no such commission as post-captain was ever recognized in either service, and the term has fall…

The captain of a vessel that sails upon the sea.

Willing; ready to agree or consent. [Colloq.] These Frenchmen give unto the said captain of Calais a great sum of money, so that he will be but content and agreeable that they may enter into the said town. Latimer.

owance (esp. of provisions and drink); to supply in a fixed and limited quantity; as, the captain was obliged to allowance his crew; our provisions were allowanced.

To cast anchor; to come to anchor; as, our ship (or the captain) anchored in the stream.

To stun; to render senseless, as by a blow. [Obs.] Enough, captain; you have astonished him. [Fluellen had struck Pistol]. Shak. The very cramp-fish [i. e., torpedo] . . . being herself not benumbed, is able to astonish others. Holland.

To stun; to bewilder; to astonish; to dismay. [Archaic] The captain of the Helots . . . strake Palladius upon the side of his head, that he reeled astonied. Sir P. Sidney. This sodeyn cas this man astonied so, That reed he wex, abayst, and al quaking. Chaucer.

y to back and fortify their laws with rewards and punishments. South. The mate backed the captain manfully. Blackw. Mag.

ory lacks proof, to have taken its origin from the insistence of a Delaware Revolutionary captain, named Caldwell, that no cock could be truly game unless the mother was a blue hen, whence Blue Hen's Chickens came to be a nickname for the people of Delaware.

unceremonious; blunt; brusque; as, a bluff answer; a bluff manner of talking; a bluff sea captain. "Bluff King Hal." Sir W. Scott. There is indeed a bluff pertinacity which is a proper defense in a moment of surprise. I. Taylor.

ll boy (a) A boy who calls the actors in a theater; a boy who transmits the orders of the captain of a vessel to the engineer, helmsman, etc. (b) A waiting boy who answers a cal, or cames at the ringing of a bell; a bell boy. -- Call note, the note naturally used by the male bird to call the female. It is artifically…

They have cashiered several of their followers. Addison. He had insolence to cashier the captain of the lord lieutenant's own body guard. Macaulay.

A military officer who commanded a minor division of the Roman army; a captain of a century. A centurion of the hand called the Italian band. Acts x. 1.

To furnish with a certificate; as, to certificate the captain of a vessel; a certificated teacher.

A captain, leader, or commander; a chief; the head of a troop, army, or clan.

A cabin on the after part of the quarterdeck, usually occupied by the captain. [Written also couch.] [Obs.] The commanders came on board and the council sat in the coach. Pepys.