Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CA-PIT'U-LA-RY, a.

Relating to the chapter of a cathedral. – Warton.

CA-PIT'U-LATE, v.i. [from capitulum, supra.]

1. To draw up a writing in chapters, heads or articles. – Shak. [But this sense is not usual.]
2. To surrender, as an army or garrison, to an enemy, by treaty, in which the terms of surrender are specified and agreed to by the parties. The term is applicable to a garrison or to the inhabitants of a besieged place, or to an army or troops in any situation in which they are subdued or compelled to submit to a victorious enemy.

CA-PIT-U-LA'TION, n.

1. The act of capitulating, or surrendering to an enemy upon stipulated terms or conditions.
2. The treaty or instrument containing the conditions of surrender.
3. A reducing to heads. [Not much used.]
4. In German polity, a contract which the Emperor makes with the electors, in the names of the princes and states of the empire, before he is raised to the imperial dignity.

CA-PIT'U-LA-TOR, n.

One who capitulates. – Sherwood.

CAP'I-TULE, n.

A summary. [Not in use.] – Wickliffe.

CA-PIT'U-LUM, n. [L.]

In botany, a species or mode of inflorescence, in which the flowers are sessile, on the same horizontal plane of the peduncle. It differs from the umbel in the circumstance, that the flowers of the umbel has pedicels.

CA-PI'VI, n.

A balsam of the Spanish West Indies. [See Copaiba.]

CAP'NO-MAN-CY, n. [Gr. καπνος, smoke, and μαντεια, divination.]

Divination by the ascent or motion of smoke. – Spenser.

CAP'NO-MOR, n. [Gr. καπνος, smoke, and μοιρα, a part.]

A transparent colorless oil-like fluid, obtained from the smoke of organic bodies.

CA-POCH', n. [Sp. capucho, a hood; Fr. capuce.]

A monk's hood.

CA'PON, n. [Sp. capon; Port. capam; It. cappone; Fr. chapon; L. capo; Ir. cabun; D. kapoen; G. kapaun; Arm. cabon; Sw. and Dan. kapun; Gr. καπων. Qu. the root of Fr. couper.]

A castrated cock; a cock-chicken gelded as soon as he quits his dam, or as soon as he begins to crow.

CA'PON, v.t.

To castrate, as a cock. – Birch.

CAP-ON-IERE', n. [Fr. Sp. caponera, It. capponiera, a little cut or trench, and it seems to be allied to capon, Sp. caponar, to cut or curtail.]

In fortification, a covered lodgment, sunk four or five feet into the ground, encompassed with a parapet, about two feet high, serving to support several planks, laden with earth. It is large enough to contain 15 or 20 soldiers, and is placed in the glacis, at the extremity of the counterscarp, and in dry moats, with embrasures or loop-holes, through which the soldiers may fire. – Harris. Encyc.

CA'PON-IZE, v.t.

To castrate a fowl. – Barrington.

CA'POT, n. [Fr. probably from L. capio, to seize.]

A winning of all the tricks of cards at the game of piquet. – Johnson.

CA'POT, v.t.

To win all the tricks of cards at piquet.

CA-POTE', n. [Fr.]

A long cloke for females, covering from head to feet.

CAP'-PA-PER, n.

A coarse paper, so called from being used to make caps to hold commodities. – Boyle.

CAP'PER, n. [from cap.]

One whose business is to make or sell caps.

CAP'RE-O-LATE, a. [L. capreolus, a tendril, properly a shoot, from the root of capra, a goat.]

In botany, having tendrils, or filiform spiral claspers, by which plants fasten themselves to other bodies, as in vines, peas, &c. – Harris. Martyn.

CA-PRIC'CIO, n. [It. freak, whim.]

A loose, irregular kind of music.

CA-PRIC-CIO'SO, n. [It.]

A term denoting a free, fantastic style of music.

CA-PRICE', n. [Fr. caprice; Sp. and Port. capricho; It. capriccio, a shaking in fever, rigors; also, whim, freak, fancy. I suspect this word to be formed, with a prefix ca on the root of freak, break; denoting primarily a sudden bursting, breaking, or starting. So we see in Italian, maglio, and camaglio, a mail. In early English writers, it is written, according to the Spanish, capricho. If formed from the root of capio, caper, the primary sense is the same.]

A sudden start of the mind; a sudden change of opinion, or humor; a whim, freak, or particular fancy.

CA-PRI'CIOUS, a.

Freakish; whimsical; apt to change opinions suddenly, or to start from one's purpose; unsteady; changeable; fickle; fanciful; subject to change or irregularity; as, a man of a capricious temper.

CA-PRI'CIOUS-LY, adv.

In a capricious manner; whimsically.