Madcap

By Deane Barker • •

Definition: behaving crazily, foolishly, or impulsively

“Mad cap” literally means “crazy head.” It dates to the 1500s, and used to literally mean a person suffering from mental illness.

Why I Looked It Up

I had heard the word for years, and knew what it meant in context, but was curious about the etymology.

This is item #428 in a sequence of 803 items.

You can use your left/right arrow keys to navigate