capture

Capture is the act of gaining possession, control, or energy of something through effort, force, or a defined process. The term is used across disciplines to denote the seizure or acquisition of an object, data, or state.

In security, policing, or warfare, capture refers to taking a person or object by force or strategy; in sports and games, capturing a flag or territory is a common objective.

In computing and media, capture describes recording or acquiring data or signals: screen capture, video capture, data capture, and capture devices that convert analogue signals to digital form.

In biology and ecology, capture refers to a predator seizing prey, and to devices or methods used to seize specimens; data capture refers to collecting observations and measurements.

In physics and astronomy, gravitational capture occurs when a body loses energy and becomes bound in orbit; neutron capture is the process by which a nucleus absorbs a neutron, with applications in reactors and nucleosynthesis.

In political economy, regulatory capture describes a process by which a regulatory agency serves the interests of the industry it oversees rather than the public.