The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Capture \Cap"ture\, n. [L. capture, fr. caper to take: cf. F.
   capture. See Caitiff, and cf. aptive.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. The act of seizing by force, or getting possession of by
      superior power or by stratagem; as, the capture of an
      enemy, a vessel, or a criminal.
      [1913 Webster]

            Even with regard to captures made at sea.
                                                  --Bluckstone.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The securing of an object of strife or desire, as by the
      power of some attraction.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. The thing taken by force, surprise, or stratagem; a prize;
      prey.

   Syn: Seizure; apprehension; arrest; detention.
        [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Capture \Cap"ture\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Captured; p. pr. & vb.
   n. Capturing.]
   1. To seize or take possession of by force, surprise, or
      stratagem; to overcome and hold; to secure by effort.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. to record or make a lasting representation of (sound or
      images); as, to capture an event on videotape; the artist
      captured the expression of grief on his face.
      [PJC]

   3. (Games) to take control of, or remove from play; as, to
      capture a piece in chess.
      [PJC]

   4. to exert a strong psychological influence on; as, to
      capture the heart of a maiden; to capture the attention of
      the nation.
      [PJC]

   5. (Computers) to record (data) in a computer-readable form;
      as, to capture a transaction in a database.
      [PJC]

            Her heart is like some fortress that has been
            captured.                             --W. Ivring.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

capture
    n 1: the act of forcibly dispossessing an owner of property
         [syn: capture, gaining control, seizure]
    2: a process whereby a star or planet holds an object in its
       gravitational field
    3: any process in which an atomic or nuclear system acquires an
       additional particle
    4: the act of taking of a person by force [syn: capture,
       seizure]
    5: the removal of an opponent's piece from the chess board
    v 1: succeed in representing or expressing something intangible;
         "capture the essence of Spring"; "capture an idea"
    2: attract; cause to be enamored; "She captured all the men's
       hearts" [syn: capture, enamour, trance, catch,
       becharm, enamor, captivate, beguile, charm,
       fascinate, bewitch, entrance, enchant]
    3: succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase; "We
       finally got the suspect"; "Did you catch the thief?" [syn:
       get, catch, capture]
    4: bring about the capture of an elementary particle or
       celestial body and causing it enter a new orbit; "This
       nucleus has captured the slow-moving neutrons"; "The star
       captured a comet"
    5: take possession of by force, as after an invasion; "the
       invaders seized the land and property of the inhabitants";
       "The army seized the town"; "The militia captured the castle"
       [syn: appropriate, capture, seize, conquer]
    6: capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping; "I caught a
       rabbit in the trap today" [syn: capture, catch]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

94 Moby Thesaurus words for "capture":
   abduction, acquire, apprehend, apprehension, arrest, arrestation,
   arrestment, bag, be seized of, bear the palm, booty, bust, carry,
   carry away, carry it, carry off, carry the day, catch, catching,
   collar, collaring, come by, come in for, come into, come out first,
   contract, corral, coup, derive, drag down, dragnet, draw, earn,
   enter into possession, finish in front, fluke, forcible seizure,
   gain, gain the day, get, grab, grabbing, harvest, haul, hold,
   kidnapping, lay hold of, make, make a killing, make an arrest, nab,
   nabbing, nail, net, netting, nick, obtain, pick up, picking up,
   pinch, power grab, prehend, prehension, procure, pull down,
   put under arrest, reap, run in, running in, sack, score, secure,
   seize, seizure, seizure of power, snatch, snatching, take,
   take captive, take hold of, take in, take into custody,
   take prisoner, take the cake, taking, taking in,
   taking into custody, win, win out, win the battle, win the laurels,
   win the palm, win the prize, win through



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

CAPTURE, war. The taking of property by one belligerent from another.
     2. To make a good capture of a ship, it must be subdued and taken by an
enemy in open war, or by way of reprisals, or by a pirate, and with intent
to deprive the owner of it.
     3. Capture may be with intent to possess both ship and cargo, or only
to seize the goods of the enemy, or contraband goods which are on board: The
former is the capture of the ship in the proper sense of the word; the
latter is only an arrest and detention, without any design to deprive the
owner of it. Capture is deemed lawful, when made by a declared enemy,
lawfully commissioned and according to the laws of war; and unlawful, when
it is against the rules established by the law of nations. Marsh. Ins. B. 1,
c. 12, s. 4.See, generally, Lee on Captures, passim; 1 Chitty's Com. Law,
377 to 512; 2 Woddes. 435 to 457; 2 Caines' C. Err 158; 7 Johns. R. 449; 3
Caines' R. 155; 11 Johns. R. 241; 13 Johns. R.161; 14 Johns. R. 227; 3
Wheat. 183; 4 Cranch, 436 Mass. 197; Bouv. Inst. Index, h.t.