Chapter 229

Caout"chou*cin (?) , n. See Caoutchin .

Cap <Xpage=212>

Cap (?) , n. [OE. cappe , AS. c\'91ppe , cap, cape, hood, fr. LL, cappa , capa ; perhaps of Iberian origin, as Isidorus of Seville mentions it first: " Capa , quia quasi totum capiat hominem; it. capitis ornamentum." See 3d Cape , and cf. 1st Cope .] 1. A covering for the head ; esp. (a) One usually with a visor but without a brim, for men and boys ; (b) One of lace, muslin, etc., for women, or infants ; (c) One used as the mark or ensign of some rank, office, or dignity, as that of a cardinal.

2. The top, or uppermost part; the chief.

Thou art the cap of all the fools alive. Shak.

3. A respectful uncovering of the head.

He that will give a cap and make a leg in thanks. Fuller.

4. (Zo\'94l.) The whole top of the head of a bird from the base of the bill to the nape of the neck.

5. Anything resembling a cap in form, position, or use ; as: (a) (Arch.) The uppermost of any assemblage of parts; as, the cap of column, door, etc. ; a capital, coping, cornice, lintel, or plate. (b) Something covering the top or end of a thing for protection or ornament. (c) (Naut.) A collar of iron or wood used in joining spars, as the mast and the topmast, the bowsprit and the jib boom; also, a covering of tarred canvas at the end of a rope. (d) A percussion cap. See under Percussion . (e) (Mech.) The removable cover of a journal box. (f) (Geom.) A portion of a spherical or other convex surface.

6. A large size of writing paper; as, flat cap ; fools cap ; legal cap .

Cap of a cannon , a piece of lead laid over the vent to keep the priming dry; -- now called an apron . -- Cap in hand , obsequiously; submissively. -- Cap of liberty . See Liberty cap , under Liberty . -- Cap of maintenance , a cap of state carried before the kings of England at the coronation. It is also carried before the mayors of some cities. -- Cap money , money collected in a cap for the huntsman at the death of the fox. -- Cap paper . (a) A kind of writing paper including flat cap, foolsap, and legal cap. (b) A coarse wrapping paper used for making caps to hold commodities. Cap rock (Mining) , The layer of rock next overlying ore, generally of barren vein material. -- Flat cap , cap See Foolscap . -- Forage cap , the cloth undress head covering of an officer of soldier. -- Legal cap , a kind of folio writing paper, made for the use of lawyers, in long narrow sheets which have the fold at the top or "narrow edge. " -- To set one's cap , to make a fool of one. (Obs.) Chaucer . -- To set one's cap for , to try to win the favor of a man with a view to marriage. [Colloq.]

Cap <Xpage=212>

Cap (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Capped (<?/) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Capping .] 1. To cover with a cap, or as with a cap; to provide with a cap or cover; to cover the top or end of; to place a cap upon the proper part of; as, to cap a post; to cap a gun .

The bones next the joint are capped with a smooth cartilaginous substance. Derham.

2. To deprive of cap. [Obs.]

Spenser.

3. To complete; to crown; to bring to the highest point or consummation; as, to cap the climax of absurdity .

4. To salute by removing the cap. [Slang. Eng.]

Tom . . . capped the proctor with the profoundest of bows. Thackeray.

5. To match; to mate in contest; to furnish a complement to; as, to cap text; to cap proverbs.

Shak.

Now I have him under girdle I'll cap verses with him to the end of the chapter. Dryden.

&hand; In capping verses, when one quotes a verse another must cap it by quoting one beginning with the last letter of the first letter, or with the first letter of the last word, or ending with a rhyming word, or by applying any other arbitrary rule may be agreed upon.

Cap <Xpage=212>

Cap , v. i. To uncover the head respectfully.

Shak.

Capability <Xpage=212>

Ca`pa*bil"i*ty (?) , n. ; pl. Capabilities (#) . 1. The quality of being capable; capacity; capableness; esp. intellectual power or ability.

A capability to take a thousand views of a subject. H. Taylor.

2. Capacity of being used or improved.

Capable <Xpage=212>

Ca"pa*ble (?) , a. [F. capable , LL. capabilis capacious, capable, fr. L. caper to take, contain. See Heave .] 1. Possessing ability, qualification, or susceptibility; having capacity; of sufficient size or strength; as, a room capable of holding a large number; a castle capable of resisting a long assault.

Concious of jou and capable of pain. Prior.

2. Possessing adequate power; qualified; able; fully competent; as, a capable instructor; a capable judge; a mind capable of nice investigations.

More capable to discourse of battles than to give them. Motley.

3. Possessing legal power or capacity; as, a man capable of making a contract, or a will .

4. Capacious; large; comprehensive. [Obs.]

Shak.

&hand; Capable is usually followed by of , sometimes by an infinitive.

Syn. -- Able; competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective; skillful.

Capableness <Xpage=212>

Ca"pa*ble*ness , n. The quality or state of being capable; capability; adequateness; competency.

Capacify <Xpage=212>

Ca*pac"i*fy (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Capacified (?) .] [L. capax , -acis , capacious + -fy .] To quality. [R.]

The benefice he is capacified and designed for. Barrow.

Capacious <Xpage=212>

Ca*pa"cious (?) , a. [L. capaz , -acis , fr. capere to take. See Heave .] 1. Having capacity; able to contain much; large; roomy; spacious; extended; broad; as, a capacious vessel, room, bay, or harbor .

In the capacious recesses of his mind. Bancroft.

2. Able or qualified to make large views of things, as in obtaining knowledge or forming designs; comprehensive; liberal. "A capacious mind."

Watts.

Capaciosly <Xpage=212>

Ca*pa"cios*ly , adv. In a capacious manner or degree; comprehensively.

Capaciousness <Xpage=212>

Ca*pa"cious*ness , n. The quality of being capacious, as of a vessel, a reservoir a bay, the mind, etc.

Capacitate <Xpage=212>

Ca*pac"i*tate (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Capacitated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Capacitating .] To render capable; to enable; to qualify.

By thih instruction we may be capaciated to observe those errors. Dryden.

Capacity <Xpage=212>

Ca*pac"i*ty (?) , n. ; pl. Capacities (#) [L. capacitus , fr. capax , capacis ; fr. F. capacit\'82 . See Capacious .] 1. The power of receiving or containing; extent of room or space; passive power; -- used in reference to physical things.

Had our great palace the capacity To camp this host, we all would sup together. Shak.

The capacity of the exhausted cylinder. Boyle.

2. The power of receiving and holding ideas, knowledge, etc.; the comprehensiveness of the mind; the receptive faculty; capability of undestanding or feeling.

Capacity is now properly limited to these [the mere passive operations of the mind]; its primary signification, which is literally room for , as well as its employment, favars this; although it can not be dented that there are examples of its usage in an active sense. Sir W. Hamilton.

3. Ability; power pertaining to, or resulting from, the possession of strength, wealth, or talent; possibility of being or of doing.

The capacity of blessing the people. Alex. Hamilton.

A cause with such capacities endued. Blackmore.

4. Outward condition or circumstances; occupation; profession; character; position; as, to work in the capacity of a mason or a carpenter .

5. (Law) Legal or noral qualification, as of age, residence, character, etc., necessary for certain purposes, as for holding office, for marrying, for making contracts, will, etc.; legal power or right; competency.

Capacity for heat , the power of absorbing heat. Substances differ in the amount of heat requisite to raise them a given number of thermometric degrees, and this difference is the measure of, or depends upon, whzt is called their capacity for heat . See Specific heat , under Heat .

Syn. -- Ability; faculty; talent; capability; skill; efficiency; cleverness. See Ability .

Capape <Xpage=212>

Cap`*a*pe" (?) , adv. See Cap-a-pie .

Shak.

Capapie <Xpage=212>

Cap`*a*pie" (?) , adv. [OF. (<?/) cap-a-pie , from head to foot, now de pied en cap from foot to head; L. per foot + caput head.] From head to foot; at all points. "He was armed cap-a-pie ."

Prescott.

Caparison <Xpage=212>

Ca*par"i*son (?) , n. [F. capara<?/on , fr. Sp. caparazon a cover for a saddle, coach, etc.; capa cloak, cover (fr. LL. capa , cf. LL. caparo also fr. capa ) + the term. azon . See Cap .] 1. An ornamental covering or housing for a horse; the harness or trappings of a horse, taken collectively, esp. when decorative.

Their horses clothed with rich caparison . Drylen.

2. Gay or rich clothing.

My heart groans beneath the gay caparison . Smollett.

Caparison <Xpage=212>

Ca*par"i*son , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Caparisoned (?) p. pr. & vb. n. Caparisoning .] [Cf. F capara\'87onner .]

1. To cover with housings, as a horse; to harness or fit out with decorative trappings, as a horse.

The steeds, caparisoned with purple, stand. Dryden.

2. To aborn with rich dress; to dress.

I am caparisoned like a man. Shak.

Caparro <Xpage=212>

Ca*par"ro (?) , n. [Native Indian name.] (Zo\'94l.) A large South American monkey ( Lagothrix Humboldtii ), with prehensile tail.

Capcase <Xpage=212>

Cap"case` (?) , n. A small traveling case or bandbox; formerly, a chest.

A capcase for your linen and your plate. Beau. & Fl.

Cape <Xpage=212>

Cape (?) , n. [F. cap , fr. It. capo head, cape, fr. L. caput heat, end, point. See Chief .] A piece or point of land, extending beyind the adjacent coast into the sea or a lake; a promonotory; a headland.

Cape buffalo (Zo\'94l.) a large and powerful buffalo of South Africa ( Bubalus Caffer ). It is said to be the most dangerous wild beast of Africa. See Buffalo , 2. -- Cape jasmine , Cape jassamine . See Jasmine . -- Cape pigeon (Zo\'94l.) , a petrel ( Daptium Capense ) common off the Cape of Good Hope. It is about the size of a pigeon. -- Cape wine , wine made in South Africa [Eng.] -- The Cape , the Cape of Good Hope, in the general sense of southern extremity of Africa. Also used of Cape Horn, and, in New England, of Cape Cod.

Cape <Xpage=212>

Cape , v. i. (Naut.) To head or point; to keep a course; as, the ship capes southwest by south .

Cape <Xpage=212>

Cape , n. [OE. Cape , fr. F. cape ; cf. LL. cappa . See Cap , and cf. 1st Cope , Chape .] A sleeveless garment or part of a garment, hanging from the neck over the back, arms, and shoulders, but not reaching below the hips. See Cloak .

Cape <Xpage=212>

Cape , v. i. [See Gape .] To gape. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Capel, Caple <Xpage=212>

Ca"pel (?) , Ca"ple (?) , n. [Icel. kapall ; cf. L. caballus .] A horse; a nag. [Obs.]

Chaucer. Holland.

Capel <Xpage=212>

Ca"pel (?) , n. (Mining) A composite stone (quartz, schorl, and hornlende) in the walls of tin and copper lodes.

Capelan <Xpage=212>

Cap"e*lan (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) See Capelin .

Capelin <Xpage=212>

Cape"lin (?) , n. [Cf. F. capelan , caplan .] (Zo\'94l.) A small marine fish ( Mallotus villosus ) of the family Salmonid\'91 , very abundant on the coasts of Greenland, Iceland, Newfoundland, and Alaska. It is used as a bait for the cod. [Written also capelan and caplin .]

&hand; This fish, which is like a smelt, is called by the Spaniards anchova , and by the Portuguese capelina .

Fisheries of U. S. (1884).

Cappeline <Xpage=212>

Cap"pe*line` (?) , n. [F., fr. LL. capella . See Chapel .] (Med.) A hood-shaped bandage for the head, the shoulder, or the stump of an amputated limb.

Capella <Xpage=212>

Ca*pel"la (?) , n. [L., a little goet, dim. of caper a goat.] (Asrton.) A brilliant star in the constellation Auriga.

Capellane <Xpage=212>

Cap"el*lane (?) , n. [See Chaplain .] The curate of a chapel; a chaplain. [Obs.]

Fuller.

Capelle <Xpage=212>

Ca*pel"le (?) , n. [G.] (Mus.) The private orchestra or band of a prince or of a church.

Capellet <Xpage=212>

Cap"el*let (?) , n. [F. capelet .] (Far.) A swelling, like a wen, on the point of the elbow (or the heel of the hock) of a horse, caused probably by bruises in lying dowm.

Capellmeister <Xpage=212>

Ca*pell"meis`ter (?) , n. [G., fr. capelle chapel, private band of a prince + meister a master.] The musical director in royal or ducal chapel; a choirmaster. [Written also kepellmeister .]

Caper <Xpage=212>

Ca"per (?) , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Capered p. pr. & vb. n. capering .] [From older capreoll to caper, cf. F. se cabrer to prance; all ultimately fr. L. caper , capra , goat. See Capriole .] To leap or jump about in a sprightly manner; to cut capers; to skip; to spring; to prance; to dance.

He capers , he dances, he has eyes of youth. Shak.

Caper <Xpage=212>

Ca"per , n. A frolicsome leap or spring; a skip; a jump, as in mirth or dancing; a prank.

To cut a caper , to frolic; to make a sportive spring; to play a prank.

Shak.

Caper <Xpage=212>

Ca"per , n. [D. kaper .] A vessel formerly used by the Dutch, privateer.

Wright.

Caper <Xpage=212>

Ca"per , n. [F. c\'83pre , fr. L. capparis , Gr. <?/; cf. Ar. & Per. al-kabar .] 1. The pungent grayish green flower bud of the European and Oriental caper ( Capparis spinosa ), much used for pickles.

2. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Capparis ; -- called also caper bush , caper tree .

&hand; The Capparis spinosa is a low prickly shrub of the Mediterranean coasts, with trailing branches and brilliant flowers; -- cultivated in the south of Europe for its buds. The C. sodada is an almost leafless spiny shrub of central Africa (Soudan), Arabia, and southern India, with edible berries.

Bean caper . See Bran caper , in the Vocabulary . -- Caper sauce , a kind of sauce or catchup made of capers.

Caperberry <Xpage=212>

Ca"per*ber`ry (?) , n. 1. The small olive-shaped berry of the European and Oriental caper, said to be used in pickles and as a condiment.

2. The currantlike fruit of the African and Arabian caper ( Capparis sodado ).

Caper bush, Caper tree <Xpage=212>

Ca"per bush` (?) , Ca"per tree` (?) . See Capper , a plant, 2.

Capercailzie, or Capercally <Xpage=212>

Ca"per*cail`zie (?) , or Ca"per*cal`ly (?) , n. [Gael, capulcoile .] (Zo\'94l.) A species of grouse ( Tetrao uragallus ) of large size and fine flavor, found in northern Europe and formerly in Scotland; -- called also cock of the woods . [Written also capercaillie , capercaili .]

Caperclaw <Xpage=212>

Ca"per*claw` (?) , v. t. To treat with cruel playfulness, as a cat treats a mouse; to abuse. [Obs.]

Birch.

Caperer <Xpage=212>

Ca"per*er (?) , n. One who capers, leaps, and skips about, or dances.

The nimble capperer on the cord. Dryden.

Capful <Xpage=212>

Cap"ful (?) , n. ; pl. Capfuls (<?/) . As much as will fill a cap.

A capful of wind (Naut.) , a light puff of wind.

Capias <Xpage=212>

Ca"pi*as (?) , n. [L. thou mayst take.] (Low) A writ or process commanding the officer to take the body of the person named in it, that is, to arrest him; -- also called writ of capias .

&hand; One principal kind of capias is a writ by which actions at law are frequently commenced; another is a writ of execution issued after judgment to satisfy damages recovered; a capias in criminal law is the process to take a person charged on an indictment, when he is not in custody.

Burrill. Wharton.

Capibara <Xpage=212>

Ca`pi*ba"ra (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) See Capybara .

Capillaceous <Xpage=212>

Cap`il*la"ceous (?) , a. [L. capillaceus hairy, fr. capillus hair.] Having long filaments; resembling a hair; slender. See Capillary .

Capillaire <Xpage=212>

Cap`il*laire" (?) , n. [F. capillaire maiden-hair; sirop de capillaire capillaire; fr. L. herba capillaris the maidenhair.] 1. A sirup prepared from the maiden-hair, formerly supposed to have medicinal properties.

2. Any simple sirup flavored with orange flowers.

Capillament <Xpage=212>

Ca*pil"la*ment (?) , n. [L. capillamentum , fr. capillus hair: cf. F. capillament .] 1. (Bot.) A filament. [R.]

2. (Anat.) Any villous or hairy covering; a fine fiber or filament, as of the nerves.

Capillariness <Xpage=212>

Cap"il*la*ri*ness (?) , n. The quality of being capillary.

Capillarity <Xpage=212>

Cap`il*lar"i*ty (?) , n. [Cf. F. capillarit\'82 .]

1. The quality or condition of being capillary.

2. (Physics) The peculiar action by which the surface of a liquid, where it is in contact with a solid (as in a capillary tube), is elevated or depressed; capillary attraction.