Captain's Cloak

proper noun

The 36th and last of the Articles of War, effectively giving the ship's captain free rein in disciplining the crew: "All other crimes not capital committed by any person or persons in the fleet, which are not mentioned in this act, or for which no punishment is hereby directed to be inflicted, shall be punished by the laws and customs in such cases used at sea."

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Meanings

proper nounthe Captain's Cloak
  1. UKcolloquialhistoricalgovernmentThe 36th and last of the Articles of War, effectively giving the ship's captain free rein in disciplining the crew: "All other crimes not capital committed by any person or persons in the fleet, which are not mentioned in this act, or for which no punishment is hereby directed to be inflicted, shall be punished by the laws and customs in such cases used at sea."

    Pigot then opened a copy of the Articles of War, and started reading from number thirty-six (the so-called 'Captain's Cloak') which covered 'All other crimes not capital […]

    2009, Dudley Pope, The Black Ship
    1 more example

    “Growl you may, but go you must,” Lewrie laughed, clapping him on the shoulder in parting. “Old Navy proverb. Might be the Thirty-Seventh Article of War, hey, right after 'The Captain's Cloak'?”

    2018, Dewey Lambdin, The Gun Ketch
Cite this entry
APA

Captain's Cloak. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Captain's%20Cloak

MLA

“Captain's Cloak.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Captain's%20Cloak. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Captain's Cloak,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Captain's%20Cloak.

Source: Captain's Cloak on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.