Forms: α. with -s in sing. and pl. 4 caperis, 4–6 cap(p)aris, -es, 6–7 capores, -ers, -ars, cappers; β. without -s in sing. 6–9 caper, 7 capar; γ. (from Fr.) 5–7 capres. [ME. caperis, caperes, a. L. capparis, a. Gr. κάππαρις; in OF. caspres, mod.Fr. câpre, It. cappero. The final s being treated as the plural sign, esp. in sense 2, was at length dropped in the singular. Cf. F. câpres in Littré.]
1. A shrub (Capparis spinosa) in habit of growth like the common bramble, abundant on walls and rocky places in the South of Europe.
1382. Wyclif, Eccles. xii. 5. The erþe caperis [1388 capparis] shal be scatered.
1551. Turner, Herbal, H iij b. Capers is a pricky bushe.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, VI. xviii. 680. The Caper is a prickley plant or bush almost lyke the Bramble.
1597. Gerard, Herbal, II. cccxxxi. 896. It is generally called Cappers in most languages; in English Cappers, Caper, and Capers.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 102/2. Capers hath a weak woody stalk.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Caper, Capparis.
1881. J. A. Symonds, in Cornh. Mag., March, 315. In sheltered nooks the caper hangs her beautiful purpureal snowy bloom.
2. (usually in pl.) The flower-buds of the same, gathered for pickling.
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks. (1841), 311. He bout for my Lord … xxij. lb. capres.
1566. Gascoigne, Supposes, Wks. (1587), 58. I will go into the towne and buy oranges, olives, and cappers.
1641. Suckling, Lett., 56. The Capers which will make my Lord of Dorset goe from the Table.
1732. Arbuthnot, Rules of Diet, I. 244. Capers, astringent and diuretick.
1882. Garden, 9 Sept., 233/1. The Capers of commerce are the flower-buds gathered while in a young state.
3. Capucine, Capuchin Capers, English Capers: the seed-vessels of the Nasturtium (Tropæolum majus: see CAPUCINE), or of the Caper Spurge (Euphorbia Lathyris), gathered for pickling; also the plants themselves.
1693. Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., II. 189. Capucine-Capers, or Nasturces, are annual Plants.
1721–1800. Bailey, Capuchin Capers, a plant called Nasturces.
1750. Johnson, Rambl., No. 51, ¶ 12. The art of making English Capers she has not yet persuaded herself to discover.
4. A sort of scented tea.
1864. W. Wood, Wds. about Tea, 10. Scented Teas … a close twisted round shot-like leaf, termed Caper.
1883. Daily News, 27 July, 6/8. Tea…. scented Caper, 5d. to 1s. 01/4d.
5. attrib., as in caper-berry, -bush, -plant, -sauce, -shrub, -tree; also caper-bean = bean-caper (see BEAN); caper-bush, caper-plant, caper-spurge, different names of Euphorbia Lathyris; caper-tree, Busbeckia arborea of New South Wales.
1885. Bible (R. V.), Eccles. xii. 5. The *caper-berry shall fail.
1673. Ray, Trav. (1738), II. 14. I found nothing by the way but a few *Caper-bushes.
1807. Pinkerton, Mod. Geog. Abr. (1811), 209. The rocks on the [Spanish] coast … abound with samphire … vetch, caper bush.
1882. A. J. C. Hare, in Gd. Words, March, 185. The beautiful *caper plant, which is the hyssop of Scripture.
1791. Wolcott (P. Pindar), Rights of Kings, Wks. 1812, II. 431. Dear as, to Legs of Mutton, *Caper-Sauce.
1609. Bible (Douay), Eccles. xii. 5. The *caper-tree shal be destroyed.
