caper
KAY-per · noun
English
Origin
Caper comes from clipping the longer word capriole, a term for a leap or jump.
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Journey
What began as a specific kind of jump — capriole — got shortened over time into caper, and the word came to stand for the whole spirited, mischievous act rather than just the leap.
Related words
It shares its root with capriole, the fuller word it was trimmed from.