Etymology

From Scottish GaelicCategory:English terms borrowed from Scottish Gaelic#CABERCategory:English terms derived from Scottish Gaelic#CABER cabar (“spar, pole”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkeɪbə/, /ˈkɑː-/Category:English 2-syllable words#CABERCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#CABER

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#CABER
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkeɪbɚ/, /ˈkɑ-/Category:English 2-syllable words#CABERCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#CABER
• Rhymes: -eɪbə(ɹ)Category:Rhymes:English/eɪbə(ɹ)#CABERCategory:Rhymes:English/eɪbə(ɹ)/2 syllables#CABER

Noun

caber (plural cabers)Category:English lemmas#CABERCategory:English nouns#CABERCategory:English countable nouns#CABERCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#CABERCategory:Pages with entries#CABERCategory:Pages with 6 entries#CABER

1. A long, thick log held upright at one end and tossed in the Highland games.

Anagrams

• Brace, acerb, brace, cabre, cabré

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [kəˈβɛ]Category:Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation#CABER
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [kəˈbə]Category:Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation#CABER
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [kaˈbeɾ]Category:Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation#CABER

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

  Category:Catalan terms with audio pronunciation#CABER

Verb

caber (first-person singular present cabo, first-person singular preterite cabí, past participle cabut)Category:Catalan lemmas#CABERCategory:Catalan verbs#CABERCategory:Catalan second conjugation verbs#CABERCategory:Catalan irregular verbs#CABERCategory:Catalan entries with incorrect language header#CABERCategory:Pages with entries#CABERCategory:Pages with 6 entries#CABER

1. alternative form of cabre

Further reading

• “caber”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “caber”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “caber” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “caber”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Etymology

From Old Galcian and Old Galician-PortugueseCategory:Galician terms inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese#CABERCategory:Galician terms derived from Old Galician-Portuguese#CABER caber, from LatinCategory:Galician terms inherited from Latin#CABERCategory:Galician terms derived from Latin#CABER capere (“to take in, contain”), from Proto-ItalicCategory:Galician terms derived from Proto-Italic#CABER *kapiō, from Proto-Indo-EuropeanCategory:Galician terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#CABER *kh₂pyéti, from the root *kap- (“to seize, grab”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈbeɾ/ [kɑˈβ̞eɾ]Category:Galician terms with IPA pronunciation#CABER
• Rhymes: -eɾCategory:Rhymes:Galician/eɾ#CABERCategory:Rhymes:Galician/eɾ/2 syllables#CABER
• Hyphenation: ca‧ber

Verb

caber (first-person singular present caibo, first-person singular preterite couben, past participle cabido)Category:Galician lemmas#CABERCategory:Galician verbs#CABERCategory:Galician verbs ending in -er#CABERCategory:Galician irregular verbs#CABERCategory:Galician entries with incorrect language header#CABERCategory:Pages with entries#CABERCategory:Pages with 6 entries#CABER
caber (first-person singular present caibo, first-person singular preterite coubem or coube, past participle cabido, reintegrationist norm)Category:Galician lemmas#CABERCategory:Galician verbs#CABERCategory:Galician verbs ending in -er#CABERCategory:Galician irregular verbs#CABERCategory:Galician entries with incorrect language header#CABERCategory:Pages with entries#CABERCategory:Pages with 6 entries#CABER

1. to fit (in something)
2. to hold or contain; to be capable of containing

References

• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “caber”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “caber”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “caber”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “caber”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Alternative forms

• caupre

Etymology

From Old OccitanCategory:Occitan terms inherited from Old Occitan#CABERCategory:Occitan terms derived from Old Occitan#CABER caber, from LatinCategory:Occitan terms inherited from Latin#CABERCategory:Occitan terms derived from Latin#CABER capere (“to take in, contain”), from Proto-ItalicCategory:Occitan terms inherited from Proto-Italic#CABERCategory:Occitan terms derived from Proto-Italic#CABER *kapiō, from Proto-Indo-EuropeanCategory:Occitan terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#CABER *kh₂pyéti, from the root *kap- (“to seize, grab”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Languedoc):

  (file)

  Category:Occitan terms with audio pronunciation#CABER

Verb

caberCategory:Occitan lemmas#CABERCategory:Occitan verbs#CABERCategory:Occitan entries with incorrect language header#CABERCategory:Pages with entries#CABERCategory:Pages with 6 entries#CABERCategory:Occitan third group verbs#CABER

1. to fit (in)

Etymology

From Old Galician-PortugueseCategory:Portuguese terms inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese#CABERCategory:Portuguese terms derived from Old Galician-Portuguese#CABER caber, from LatinCategory:Portuguese terms inherited from Latin#CABERCategory:Portuguese terms derived from Latin#CABER capere (“to take in, contain”), from Proto-ItalicCategory:Portuguese terms inherited from Proto-Italic#CABERCategory:Portuguese terms derived from Proto-Italic#CABER *kapiō, from Proto-Indo-EuropeanCategory:Portuguese terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#CABER *kh₂pyéti, from the root *kap- (“to seize, grab”). Compare Galician caber, Spanish caber, Italian capire (“to understand”) and Romanian încăpea.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ca‧ber

Verb

caber (first-person singular present caibo, first-person singular preterite coube, past participle cabido)Category:Portuguese lemmas#CABERCategory:Portuguese verbs#CABERCategory:Portuguese verbs ending in -er#CABERCategory:Portuguese irregular verbs#CABERCategory:Portuguese entries with incorrect language header#CABERCategory:Pages with entries#CABERCategory:Pages with 6 entries#CABER

1. (intransitiveCategory:Portuguese intransitive verbs#CABER) to fit (no matter if space or volume is left) [with em ‘in something’]

   Este tamanho não cabe em mim.

   This size doesn't fit me.

   Category:Portuguese terms with usage examples#CABER

2. (intransitiveCategory:Portuguese intransitive verbs#CABER) to traverse, pass through or across (a way, path, opening etc. no matter if space is left) [with em]
3. (intransitiveCategory:Portuguese intransitive verbs#CABER) to hold; to be capable of containing [with em]

   Nesse auditório cabem duas mil pessoas.

   That auditorium holds two thousand people.

   Category:Portuguese terms with usage examples#CABER

4. (intransitiveCategory:Portuguese intransitive verbs#CABER) to be responsible for; to be up to somebody [with a]

   Cabe a você fazer uma escolha.

   It's up to you to make a choice.

   Category:Portuguese terms with usage examples#CABER

5. (intransitiveCategory:Portuguese intransitive verbs#CABER) to be allotted, to be distributed [with a ‘to’]

   A cada um coube uma pequena parte.

   A small part was distributed to each person.

   Category:Portuguese terms with usage examples#CABER

Further reading

• “caber”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “caber”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “caber”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Etymology

Inherited from Old SpanishCategory:Spanish terms inherited from Old Spanish#CABERCategory:Spanish terms derived from Old Spanish#CABER caber, from LatinCategory:Spanish terms inherited from Latin#CABERCategory:Spanish terms derived from Latin#CABER capiō, capere (“take, hold, contain”), from Proto-ItalicCategory:Spanish terms inherited from Proto-Italic#CABERCategory:Spanish terms derived from Proto-Italic#CABER *kapiō, from Proto-Indo-EuropeanCategory:Spanish terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European#CABERCategory:Spanish terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#CABER *kh₂pyéti, from the root *kap- (“to seize, grab”). Compare English have, capture, catch and chase. See also Spanish cazar, cachar.

The 1st person singular of the present reflects an original */ˈkai̯po/, through metathesis from LatinCategory:Spanish terms inherited from Latin#CABERCategory:Spanish terms derived from Latin#CABER capiō (compare Portuguese caibo). Similarly the preterite continues */ˈkau̯pi/, metathesis of a Vulgar Latin perfect stem *capuī (compare Portuguese coube).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈbeɾ/ [kaˈβ̞eɾ]Category:Spanish 2-syllable words#CABERCategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#CABER

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

  Category:Spanish terms with audio pronunciation#CABER
• Rhymes: -eɾCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/eɾ#CABERCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/eɾ/2 syllables#CABER
• Syllabification: ca‧ber

Verb

caber (first-person singular present quepo, first-person singular preterite cupe, past participle cabido)Category:Spanish lemmas#CABERCategory:Spanish verbs#CABERCategory:Spanish verbs ending in -er#CABERCategory:Spanish irregular verbs#CABERCategory:Spanish entries with incorrect language header#CABERCategory:Pages with entries#CABERCategory:Pages with 6 entries#CABER

1. (transitiveCategory:Spanish transitive verbs#CABER) to fit, enter (to be able to be contained (by something; regardless of whether space or volume remains))

   Synonym: entrar

   Quise tomar prestados los pantalones de mi hermana pequeña, pero no me cabían.

   I wanted to borrow my little sister's trousers, but they didn't fit me.

   Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#CABER

2. (transitiveCategory:Spanish transitive verbs#CABER) to traverse, pass through or across (a way, path, door, hole, opening, mouth, orifice, etc.)

   Synonym: pasar

3. (transitiveCategory:Spanish transitive verbs#CABER) to be held or contained (to be held inside (something) or passed through (regardless of whether space or volume remains))
4. (transitiveCategory:Spanish transitive verbs#CABER, intransitiveCategory:Spanish intransitive verbs#CABER) to have, hold, should be (in certain phrases)

   No os quepa duda... ― Do not have any doubt about...Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#CABER

   Cabe señalar que... ― It should be noted that...Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#CABER

   No cabe comparación entre las dos cosas.

   The two things aren't comparable.

   Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#CABER

5. (transitiveCategory:Spanish transitive verbs#CABER, figuratively) to be acceptable, accepted, permitted, permissible, allowable, etc.

   Synonym: tener cabida

6. (archaicCategory:Spanish terms with archaic senses#CABER) to take
7. (archaicCategory:Spanish terms with archaic senses#CABER) to understand
8. to be possible

   Cabe eso. ― There is room for it.Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#CABER

Further reading

• “caber”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025