capers

ca·per 1

 (kā′pər)
n.
1. A playful leap or hop.
2. A frivolous escapade or prank.
3. Slang An illegal plot or enterprise, especially one involving theft.
intr.v. ca·pered, ca·per·ing, ca·pers
To leap or frisk about; frolic.

[Alteration of capriole.]

ca·per 2

 (kā′pər)
n.
1. A usually spiny Mediterranean shrub (Capparis spinosa) having white to pale lilac flowers and dehiscent fruits with reddish pulp.
2. A pickled flower bud of this plant, used as a pungent condiment in sauces, relishes, and various other dishes.

[Middle English capar, ultimately (probably via back-formation from earlier caperis, caper bush, taken as a plural with the ending -s) from Latin capparis, from Greek kapparis, of unknown origin.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

capers

(ˈkeɪpəz)
pl n
(Cookery) the flower buds of the caper plant, which are pickled and used as a condiment
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

capers

The buds of a Mediterranean shrub. Used pickled in sauces and garnishes.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
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