capo
capo Lexical Profile
capo Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A clamp-like mechanical device attached across the neck of a fretted stringed instrument, such as a guitar, banjo, or mandolin, to shorten the playable length of the strings and uniformly raise their pitch.
"The acoustic guitarist placed a capo on the second fret to match the singer's vocal range."
A high-ranking captain or branch leader within an organized crime syndicate, especially the Mafia, who commands a crew of soldiers and reports directly to the boss.
"Federal prosecutors alleged that the defendant operated as a powerful capo overseeing illegal gambling operations."
• verb
To fit or clamp a capo onto the neck of a fretted musical instrument to transpose its pitch upward.
"If you capo the guitar at the fourth fret, you can play the song using simple open chord shapes."
• Rhymes for capo
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Italian 'capo' ('head, chief, or beginning'), from Latin 'caput' ('head'). In its musical sense, it is a shortening of Italian 'capotasto' ('head of the fretboard', literally 'head fret').