capots

Capot is a term with multiple meanings across different domains, derived from the French word capot, meaning hood or cover. In automotive contexts, capot refers to the engine hood of a vehicle—the hinged panel that closes over the engine bay. The term is most common in French-speaking markets, but English-language discussions of European cars may also use capot to describe the hood, especially in historical or restoration settings. In some cases, capots may be discussed in plural when referring to multiple vehicles.

In card games, capot denotes a specific achievement: a hand in which one side wins all the tricks taken in that deal. The term is used in various regional trick-taking games, most notably in Belote and related French-language variants. A capot represents a complete sweep of tricks and is often noted as a rare or noteworthy accomplishment within the game’s scoring system. The exact rules that qualify a capot can differ between games, so the term is primarily associated with French-speaking gaming communities and their variants.

Other uses of capot are largely limited to specialized jargon or proper names in certain locales, including historical or cultural references. Outside these contexts, the term is uncommon in general English usage. When encountered, the meaning is typically inferable from surrounding text: either a reference to the car’s hood or to winning all tricks in a trick-taking hand.

Etymology traces the word to French, where capot means hood or a covering. The plural capots appears in contexts discussing more than one instance of the concept.