---
title: caper — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «caper» in the school dictionary: A caper is a playful jump or skip. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# caper

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** caper, he, They, feast, boys · **What happens:** be, jump, dance, cut, mean, play about · **To what, where:** playful jump, mischievous trick, capers, children, tree, sorts · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«caper» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 4 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [caper in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/caper.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A caper is a playful jump or skip.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:caper:m1:1
# text = A caper is a playful jump or skip.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	caper	caper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	playful	playful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	jump	jump	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	skip	skip	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a caper | a playful jump or skip |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To caper is to skip, jump and dance about happily.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:caper:m2:1
# text = To caper is to skip, jump and dance about happily.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	caper	caper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	advcl	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	skip	skip	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
7	jump	jump	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	dance	dance	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
10	about	about	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	happily	happily	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | skip *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **jump** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **dance** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | happily *property* | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: informal — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A caper is a mischievous trick or prank; «cut capers» means to play about or behave naughtily.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:caper:m3:1
# text = A caper is a mischievous trick or prank; «cut capers» means to play about or behave naughtily.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	caper	caper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	mischievous	mischievous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	trick	trick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	prank	prank	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
10	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	cut	cut	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	14	nsubj	_	_
12	capers	caper	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
14	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	parataxis	_	_
15	to	to	PART	TO	_	16	mark	_	_
16	play	play	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	ccomp	_	_
17	about	about	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
18	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
19	behave	behave	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	conj	_	_
20	naughtily	naughtily	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a caper | a mischievous trick or prank |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **cut** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | capers |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset caper=Product |
| 3 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 4 | **play about** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | about *property* | vn performance-26.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **behave** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | naughtily *property* | vn masquerade-29.6-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The children capered round the tree.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:caper:x1:1
# text = The children capered round the tree.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
3	capered	caper	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	round	round	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **caper** | participle |  | the children *not said here* |  | the tree |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme round tree=Trajectory |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
First he whirled round, then he cut all sorts of capers.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:caper:x2:1
# text = First he whirled round, then he cut all sorts of capers.
1	First	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	3	advmod	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	whirled	whirl	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	round	round	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	8	advmod	_	_
7	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	cut	cut	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	parataxis	_	_
9	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
10	sorts	sort	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	capers	caper	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **whirl** | past | he |  |  |  |  | first, round *property* | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **cut** | past | he | all sorts of capers |  |  | then |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sort=Product |
| 3 | **sort** |  |  | capers |  |  |  |  | nom sort «cognition transitive»: of=patient |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They capered with joy when the feast was ready.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:caper:x3:1
# text = They capered with joy when the feast was ready.
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	capered	caper	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	with	with	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	joy	joy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	feast	feast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
9	ready	ready	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **caper** | past | They |  |  |  |  | with joy | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | past | the feast |  |  |  |  | ready *property* | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The boys were up to their usual capers.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:caper:x4:1
# text = The boys were up to their usual capers.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	boys	boy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
3	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
4	up	up	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
7	usual	usual	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	capers	caper	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the boys |  |  |  |  | to boys's usual capers | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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