A head-man; commander; commanding officer. The captain of a war-vessel is the oflicer first in command. In the Unlted States navy, the rank of “captain” is intermediate between that of “comma nd-er” and “commodore.” The governor or con-trolling officer of a vessel in the merchant service is usually styled “captain" by the in-ferior officers nnd seamen, bnt in maritime business and admiralty law is more commonly designated as “master.” In foreign juris-prudence his title is often that of “patron.” in the United States army (and the militia) the captain is the commander of a company of soldiers, one of the divisions of a regiment. The term is also used to designate the com-mander of a squad of municipal poljce
Source: Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
