caper

/ˈkeɪpər/

/ˈkeɪpə/

Other forms: capers; capering; capered

A goofy little joke or prank, a crime, or a ridiculous adventure is called a caper. For example, your quest for an American newspaper turned into a caper that took you all over the Irish countryside.

Caper originates from the Italian word capriolare, meaning “jump in the air,” and indeed, one meaning is "frolicking play or light-hearted dancing." Little kids like to caper at family parties — it gets them tons of attention. Other kinds of capers might get you jail time because a caper can also be an outlandish crime spree, or a wild activity. Finally, capers are the very flavorful pickled flower bud found in Mediterranean cooking.

Definitions of caper

1. noun

   a playful leap or hop
   synonyms: capriole

   type of:

   bounce, bound, leap, leaping, saltation, spring

   a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
2. noun

   light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement
   synonyms: frolic, gambol, play, romp

   types:

   coquetry, dalliance, flirt, flirtation, flirting, toying

   playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest

   craziness, folly, foolery, indulgence, lunacy, tomfoolery

   foolish or senseless behavior

   game

   frivolous or trifling behavior

   horseplay

   rowdy or boisterous play

   teasing

   playful vexation

   word play

   playing on words or speech sounds

   meshugaas, mishegaas, mishegoss

   (Yiddish) craziness; senseless behavior or activity

   buffoonery, clowning, frivolity, harlequinade, japery, prank

   acting like a clown or buffoon

   type of:

   diversion, recreation

   an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
3. noun

   a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement
   synonyms: antic, joke, prank, put-on, trick

   types:

   dirty trick

   an unkind or aggressive trick

   practical joke

   a prank or trick played on a person (especially one intended to make the victim appear foolish)

   April fool

   a practical joke or trick played on the first day of April

   hotfoot

   a practical joke that involves inserting a match surreptitiously between the sole and upper of the victim's shoe and then lighting it

   rag

   a boisterous practical joke (especially by college students)

   snipe hunt

   an elaborate practical joke in which the unsuspecting victim hunts a snipe and is typically left in the dark holding a bag and waiting for the snipe to run into it

   type of:

   diversion, recreation

   an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
4. verb

   jump about playfully
   type of:

   bound, jump, leap, spring

   move forward by leaps and bounds
5. noun

   a crime (especially a robbery)
   synonyms: job

   type of:

   robbery

   larceny by threat of violence
6. noun

   pickled flower buds used as a pungent relish in various dishes and sauces
   type of:

   pickle

   vegetables (especially cucumbers) preserved in brine or vinegar
7. noun

   any of numerous plants of the genus Capparis
   types:

   Capparis arborea, native pomegranate

   small Australian tree bearing edible fruit resembling the pomegranate

   Capparis cynophallophora, Jamaica caper tree, caper tree

   shrub of southern Florida to West Indies

   Capparis flexuosa, bay-leaved caper, caper tree

   shrub or small tree of southern Florida to Central and South America

   Capparis mitchellii, native orange

   small Australian tree bearing edible dark purple fruit

   Capparis spinosa, common caper

   prostrate spiny shrub of the Mediterranean region cultivated for its greenish flower buds which are pickled

   type of:

   bush, shrub

   a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems