Cap - Definition and Overview

Alternate meaning: in meteorology, a cap is a capping inversion.

A cap is a form of headgear. Caps are generally soft, and often have no brim, or just a peak (like on a baseball cap).

For many centuries women wore a wide variety of head-coverings which were called caps. In the 18th and 19th centuries for example a cap was a kind of head covering made of a flimsy fabric such as muslin; they were worn indoors by married women, or older unmarried women who were "on the shelf" (e.g. mob-cap).

Specific kinds of caps include the kepi.

In some sports, players are given a cap each time they represent their country.

A cap is also an upper bound. For example, a tax cap places an upper bound on the amount of tax a person might be required to pay. In this case the tax is said to be capped. Tax caps typically affect a commercial property, or the commercial portion of a mixed commercial/residential property.

For the meaning of cap in the context of interest rate derivatives, see interest rate cap.

External Links

• My Kingdom for a Crown: An Around-the-World History of the Skullcap and its Modern Socio-Political Significance (http://www.hatsuk.com/skullcaps.pdf), by Reverend Antonio Hernandez (pdf) -- a thorough history of the skullcap, with chapters on the yarmulke and the beanie among others.