team captain

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   the player or member chosen to lead a team and speak for it.

   Grammar: Countable: a team captain, two team captains, the team captain.

   Patterns

   • be elected team captain
   • appoint someone as team captain
   • the team captain of something

   She was named team captain before the season started.

   As team captain, he talks to the referee when there is a dispute.

   The coach asked the team captain to organize extra practice.

2. 2nouncountable

   the person in charge of a group taking part in a quiz, game, or work project.

   Grammar: Used in non-sports settings too: quiz team captain, project team captain.

   Patterns

   • the quiz team captain
   • choose someone as team captain

   Our quiz team captain picked the hardest questions for us.

   Every department sent a team captain to the planning meeting.

Word forms

Common combinations

elected team captain

He was elected team captain by a vote of the players.

serve as team captain

She will serve as team captain for the spring season.

team captaincy

Taking on the team captaincy changed how he played.

stand-in team captain

With the usual leader injured, a stand-in team captain led the side.

Synonyms and how they differ

skipper

Informal and common in British sports talk; it means the same but sounds casual.

leader

Much broader: any person who guides others, not necessarily in a team.

head

Used for the person in charge of an organization or group, not usually for sports teams.

Word family

captain noun

The leader of a team, ship, or group.

captaincy noun

The position or period of being a captain.

Commonly confused: team captain or coach?

Practice

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