Served as a captain or led as a captain; commanded a ship, military unit, or team.
Past tense of captain, from the noun meaning 'a head person.' The verbal use of captain became common in the 1600s in nautical and military contexts.
When a ship was 'captained' by someone during the Age of Exploration, that person held literally life-and-death power over the crew—they could order executions, control navigation across uncharted seas, and write history through their decisions.
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