caption
Definitions
A short text under or beside an image explaining it
（图片下方的）说明文字，图注
Text shown on screen of the words being spoken; subtitles
（屏幕上的）字幕
To add a caption or subtitles to something
给……加说明文字/字幕
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom captio ('a taking, seizing'), from capere's past-participle stem capt-. Originally a caption was the 'taking' or heading at the top of a legal document — the part that 'seized' the main point. From a heading it shifted to the descriptive line under a picture, and then to on-screen subtitles.
Root cap still carries 163 more wordsWhy It Means This
The surprising part is that caption shares the capt- stem with capture and captive — all about 'seizing.' A heading 'seizes' the gist of a document at a glance; that's why the word for a legal heading drifted to mean the explanatory text that 'captures' what an image shows. Today its most common sense is subtitles, but the seizing-the-point idea still fits.
Common Collocations
- 1.photo caption照片说明
- 2.closed captions隐藏式字幕
- 3.add a caption添加说明文字
- 4.turn on captions开启字幕
Example Sentences
- 1.
The photo's caption named everyone in the front row.
- 2.
Turn on captions if you have trouble hearing the dialogue.
- 3.
She captioned the video so deaf viewers could follow along.
Easily Confused
caption vs subtitle — in everyday US use both can mean on-screen text. Technically subtitles assume you can hear and just translate/transcribe speech, while (closed) captions also describe sounds (e.g. [door slams]) for deaf viewers. Caption also uniquely means the text under a photo.