[+ obj] 1 a : to take and hold (someone) as a prisoner especially by using force
▪ They were captured by enemy soldiers.
b : to catch (an animal)
▪ using traps to capture mice 2 a : to get control of (a place) especially by using force
▪ The city was captured by the Romans.
b : to win or get (something) through effort
▪ She captured 60 percent of the vote in the last election. ▪ The company plans on capturing a larger segment of the market. 3 : to get and hold (someone's attention, interest, etc.)
▪ The show has captured the attention/interest of teenagers. ▪ The story captured our imaginations. [=the story was very interesting and exciting] 4 : to describe or show (someone or something) in a very accurate way by using writing, painting, film, etc.
▪ The story captures the essence of the holiday. ▪ The biography captured her perfectly. ▪ The beauty of the landscape was captured perfectly by the artist. 5 a : to record (something) in a picture, film, etc.
▪ The robbery was captured (on film) by the security cameras.
b : to get and put (information) into a form that can be read or used by a computer
▪ The system is used to capture data relating to the buying habits of young people. ▪ a digital camera that captures 1.2 million pixels 6 : to take (something, such as a chess piece) by following the rules of a game
▪ In the game of chess, the goal is to capture your opponent's king.