cut capers

ca·​perˈkā-pər

noun (1)

an illegal or questionable act or escapade

With luck, Bobby Joe could have become a rich man. But lacking an excess of smarts to begin with, he had pulled off this caper largely due to the efforts of some brainier military personnel who set the thing up for him in Saigon.—John Nichols

an amusing movie or story about such an act or escapade

This offbeat, Runyonesque caper shows uncanny insight into the psychology of the con man and his all-too-willing victims.—Sybil Steinberg

a capricious escapade : prank

The boys were disciplined for their foolish capers.

a frolicsome leap I feel as if I could be anything or everything; as if I could rant and storm, or sigh, or cut capers in any tragedy or comedy in the English language.—Jane Austen

He was so happy he cut a caper on the steps.

verb

intransitive verb

to leap or prance about in a playful manner

lambs capering in the meadow

noun (2)

any of a genus (Capparis of the family Capparidaceae, the caper family) of low prickly shrubs of the Mediterranean regionespecially: one (C. spinosa) cultivated for its buds

one of the greenish flower buds or young berries of the caper pickled and used as a seasoning or garnish

noun (1)

an illegal or questionable act or escapade

With luck, Bobby Joe could have become a rich man. But lacking an excess of smarts to begin with, he had pulled off this caper largely due to the efforts of some brainier military personnel who set the thing up for him in Saigon.—John Nichols

an amusing movie or story about such an act or escapade

This offbeat, Runyonesque caper shows uncanny insight into the psychology of the con man and his all-too-willing victims.—Sybil Steinberg

a capricious escapade : prank

The boys were disciplined for their foolish capers.

a frolicsome leap I feel as if I could be anything or everything; as if I could rant and storm, or sigh, or cut capers in any tragedy or comedy in the English language.—Jane Austen

He was so happy he cut a caper on the steps.

verb

intransitive verb

to leap or prance about in a playful manner

lambs capering in the meadow

noun (2)

any of a genus (Capparis of the family Capparidaceae, the caper family) of low prickly shrubs of the Mediterranean regionespecially: one (C. spinosa) cultivated for its buds

one of the greenish flower buds or young berries of the caper pickled and used as a seasoning or garnish

Verb and Noun (1) probably by shortening & alteration from capriole Noun (2) back-formation from earlier capers (taken as a plural), from Middle English caperis, from Latin capparis, from Greek kapparis

The first known use of caper was in the 14th century

cut1 of 2verb

to penetrate or divide with or as if with an edged tool (as a knife) cutting and pasting colored paper cut the pie

cut my finger

to function as an edged tool this old knife won't cut anymore

be careful—that glass will cut

to be able to be cut

cheese cuts easily

to harm (oneself) by making cuts or scratches on one's body

to experience the growth of through the gum

the baby is cutting teeth

to hurt the feelings of

the remark cut me

trim entry 1 sense 3a

cut your hair

mow entry 2 sense 1

cut the grass

dissolve sense 2

a detergent cuts grease

to make smaller

cut costs

to remove with or as if with a knife cut two players from the team

cut a piece of ham

to remove (something) from a computer document in such a way that it can be moved to another part of the document or to another document

to go straight rather than around

cut across the backyard

intersect sense 1, cross

lines cutting other lines

to make a quick change of direction the camera cuts to the crowd in the street

go out 10 steps, then cut right and I'll throw you a pass

to divide a deck of cards

to cause to stop cut the engine

cut the nonsense

snub entry 1 sense 2

cut a former friend

to fail to attend

cut a class

to make or shape with or as if with an edged tool cut a diamond

farmers cut clearings out of the wilderness

to record sounds on

cut a record

to give the appearance of

cuts a fine figure

to advance by skipping or going around another

cut to the front of the line

cut2 of 2noun

something cut or cut off

a cut of beef

share entry 1 sense 1

your cut of the winnings

a product of cutting

a wound made by something sharp

a passage made by cutting

a railroad cut

a grade or step especially in a social scale

a cut above the ordinary

a pictorial illustration

an act or instance of cutting

something done or said that hurts the feelings

an unkind cut

an act of removing a part

a cut in pay

an act or turn of cutting cards

it's your cut

a voluntary absence from a class

a swing by a batter at the ball

took a good cut

a sudden switch from one sound or image to another in movies, radio, or television

an edited version of a film

the shape and style in which a thing is cut, formed, or made

clothes of the latest cut

the act of reducing the size of a group (as of competitors) by removing the less skillful

played well and made the cut

a recorded song

cut1 of 2verb

to penetrate or divide with or as if with an edged tool (as a knife) cutting and pasting colored paper cut the pie

cut my finger

to function as an edged tool this old knife won't cut anymore

be careful—that glass will cut

to be able to be cut

cheese cuts easily

to harm (oneself) by making cuts or scratches on one's body

to experience the growth of through the gum

the baby is cutting teeth

to hurt the feelings of

the remark cut me

trim entry 1 sense 3a

cut your hair

mow entry 2 sense 1

cut the grass

dissolve sense 2

a detergent cuts grease

to make smaller

cut costs

to remove with or as if with a knife cut two players from the team

cut a piece of ham

to remove (something) from a computer document in such a way that it can be moved to another part of the document or to another document

to go straight rather than around

cut across the backyard

intersect sense 1, cross

lines cutting other lines

to make a quick change of direction the camera cuts to the crowd in the street

go out 10 steps, then cut right and I'll throw you a pass

to divide a deck of cards

to cause to stop cut the engine

cut the nonsense

snub entry 1 sense 2

cut a former friend

to fail to attend

cut a class

to make or shape with or as if with an edged tool cut a diamond

farmers cut clearings out of the wilderness

to record sounds on

cut a record

to give the appearance of

cuts a fine figure

to advance by skipping or going around another

cut to the front of the line

cut2 of 2noun

something cut or cut off

a cut of beef

share entry 1 sense 1

your cut of the winnings

a product of cutting

a wound made by something sharp

a passage made by cutting

a railroad cut

a grade or step especially in a social scale

a cut above the ordinary

a pictorial illustration

an act or instance of cutting

something done or said that hurts the feelings

an unkind cut

an act of removing a part

a cut in pay

an act or turn of cutting cards

it's your cut

a voluntary absence from a class

a swing by a batter at the ball

took a good cut

a sudden switch from one sound or image to another in movies, radio, or television

an edited version of a film

the shape and style in which a thing is cut, formed, or made

clothes of the latest cut

the act of reducing the size of a group (as of competitors) by removing the less skillful

played well and made the cut

a recorded song

caper1 of 3noun

a pickled flower bud or young berry of a low prickly shrub of the Mediterranean region that is used as a seasoning

caper2 of 3verb

to leap about in a lively way

caper3 of 3noun

a playful bounding leap or spring

a playful or mischievous trick

an illegal or questionable act