{ } a. [ L. anceps, ancipitis, two-headed, double; an- for amb- on both sides + caput head. ] (Bot.) Two-edged instead of round; -- said of certain flattened stems, as those of blue grass, and rarely also of leaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Basi- + occipital. ] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the bone in the base of the cranium, frequently forming a part of the occipital in the adult, but usually distinct in the young. -- n. The basioccipital bone. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. biceps, bicipitis: cf. F. bicipital. See Biceps. ] 1. (Anat.) (a) Having two heads or origins, as a muscle. (b) Pertaining to a biceps muscle; as, bicipital furrows, the depressions on either side of the biceps of the arm. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Dividing into two parts at one extremity; having two heads or two supports; as, a bicipital tree. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. capital, L. capitalis capital (in senses 1 & 2), fr. caput head. See Chief, and cf. Capital, n. ] 1. Of or pertaining to the head. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Needs must the Serpent now his capital bruise
Expect with mortal pain. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having reference to, or involving, the forfeiture of the head or life; affecting life; punishable with death; as, capital trials; capital punishment. [ 1913 Webster ]

Many crimes that are capital among us. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

To put to death a capital offender. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. First in importance; chief; principal. [ 1913 Webster ]

A capital article in religion Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whatever is capital and essential in Christianity. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Chief, in a political sense, as being the seat of the general government of a state or nation; as, Washington and Paris are capital cities. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Of first rate quality; excellent; as, a capital speech or song. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Capital letter [ F, lettre capitale ] (Print.), a leading or heading letter, used at the beginning of a sentence and as the first letter of certain words, distinguished, for the most part, both by different form and larger size, from the small (lower-case) letters, which form the greater part of common print or writing. --
Small capital letters have the form of capital letters and height of the body of the lower-case letters. --
Capital stock, money, property, or stock invested in any business, or the enterprise of any corporation or institution. Abbott.

Syn. -- Chief; leading; controlling; prominent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. L. capitellum and capitulum, a small head, the head, top, or capital of a column, dim. of caput head; F. chapiteau, OF. capitel. See chief, and cf. cattle, chattel, chapiter, chapter. ] 1. (Arch.) The head or uppermost member of a column, pilaster, etc. It consists generally of three parts, abacus, bell (or vase), and necking. See these terms, and Column. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ Cf. F. capilate, fem., sc. ville. ] (Geog.) The seat of government; the chief city or town in a country; a metropolis. “A busy and splendid capital” Macauly. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. [ Cf. F. capital. ] Money, property, or stock employed in trade, manufactures, etc.; the sum invested or lent, as distinguished from the income or interest. See Capital stock, under Capital, a. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Polit. Econ.) That portion of the produce of industry, which may be directly employed either to support human beings or to assist in production. M'Culloch. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ When wealth is used to assist production it is called capital. The capital of a civilized community includes fixed capital (i.e. buildings, machines, and roads used in the course of production and exchange) and circulating capital (i.e., food, fuel, money, etc., spent in the course of production and exchange). T. Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Anything which can be used to increase one's power or influence. [ 1913 Webster ]

He tried to make capital out of his rival's discomfiture. London Times. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Fort.) An imaginary line dividing a bastion, ravelin, or other work, into two equal parts. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. A chapter, or section, of a book. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Holy St. Bernard hath said in the 59th capital. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Print.) See Capital letter, under Capital, a. [ 1913 Webster ]

Active capital. See under Active, --
Small capital (Print.), a small capital letter; informally referred to (in the plural) as small caps; as, the technical terms are listed in small caps. See under Capital, a. --
To live on one's capital, to consume one's capital without producing or accumulating anything to replace it. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. same as capitalization.
Syn. -- capitalization. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. An economic system based on predominantly private (individual or corporate) investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of goods and wealth; contrasted with socialism or especially communism, in which the state has the predominant role in the economy.
Syn. -- capitalist economy. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ Cf. F. capitaliste. ] One who has capital; one who has money for investment, or money invested; esp. a person of large property, which is employed in business. [ 1913 Webster ]

The expenditure of the capitalist. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. Of or relating to capitalism or capitalists. capitalistic methods and incentives
Syn. -- capitalist. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. Favoring or practicing capitalism. [ Narrower terms: bourgeois ] socialistic
Syn. -- capitalist. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. The act or process of capitalizing. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Capitalized p. pr. & vb. n. Capitalizing. ] 1. To convert into capital, or to use as capital. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To compute, appraise, or assess the capital value of (a patent right, an annuity, etc.) [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To print in capital letters, or with an initial capital. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To supply capital for (an enterprise), especially by selling capital stock. [ PJC ]

v. t. To turn (an opportunity) to one's advantage; to take advantage of (a situation); to profit from; as, to capitalize on an opponent's mistakes. [ PJC ]

adv. 1. In a way involving the forfeiture of the head or life; as, to punish capitally. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In a capital manner; excellently. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being capital; preeminence. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or . [ See capitan. ] The chief admiral of the Turkish fleet. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. capitatus fr. caput head. ] 1. Headlike in form; also, having the distal end enlarged and rounded, as the stigmas of certain flowers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Having the flowers gathered into a head. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ NL. ] Of so much per head; as, a capitatim tax; a capitatim grant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. capitatio a poll tax, fr. caput head; cf. F. capitation. ] 1. A numbering of heads or individuals. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A tax upon each head or person, without reference to property; a poll tax. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Crepitate. ] Having a crackling sound; crackling; rattling. [ 1913 Webster ]

Crepitant rale (Med.), a peculiar crackling sound audible with inspiration in pneumonia and other lung disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Crepitated p. pr. & vb. n. Crepitating ] [ L. crepitatus, p. p. of crepitare to crackle, v. intensive of crepare to crack. Cf. Crevice. ] To make a series of small, sharp, rapidly repeated explosions or sounds, as salt in fire; to crackle; to snap. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. crépitation. ] 1. The act of crepitating or crackling. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) (a) A grating or crackling sensation or sound, as that produced by rubbing two fragments of a broken bone together, or by pressing upon cellular tissue containing air. (b) A crepitant râle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decapitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Decapitating. ] [ LL. decapitatus, p. p. of decapitare; L. de- + caput head. See Chief. ] 1. To cut off the head of; to behead. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To remove summarily from office. [ Colloq. U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having had the head cut off.
Syn. -- beheaded. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ LL. decapitatio: cf. F. décapitation. ] The act of beheading; beheading. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decrepitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Decrepitating. ] [ Cf. F. décrépiter. ] To roast or calcine so as to cause a crackling noise; as, to decrepitate salt. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To crackle, as salt in roasting. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. décrépitation. ] The act of decrepitating; a crackling noise, such as salt makes when roasting. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. (Hinduism) the Hindu god of the sky; same as Dyaus.
Syn. -- Dyaus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. épitaphe, L. epitaphium a funeral oration, fr. Gr. &unr_;, orig. an adj., over or at a tomb; 'epi` upon + &unr_; tomb. Cf. Cenotaph. ] 1. An inscription on, or at, a tomb, or a grave, in memory or commendation of the one buried there; a sepulchral inscription. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A brief writing formed as if to be inscribed on a monument, as that concerning Alexander: “Sufficit huic tumulus, cui non sufficeret orbis.” [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To commemorate by an epitaph. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Let me be epitaphed the inventor of English hexameters. G. Harvey. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To write or speak after the manner of an epitaph. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The common in their speeches epitaph upon him . . . “He lived as a wolf and died as a dog.” Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A writer of epitaphs. Nash.

{ } a. Relating to, or of the nature of, an epitaph. [ 1913 Webster ]

The noble Pericles in his epitaphian speech. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Epitaphial Latin verses are not to be taken too literally. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to an epitaph; epitaphian. -- n. An epitaph. Udall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An epitapher. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; a stretching, fr. &unr_; to stretch upon or over; 'epi` upon + &unr_; to stretch. ] 1. That part which embraces the main action of a play, poem, and the like, and leads on to the catastrophe; -- opposed to protasis. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) The period of violence in a fever or disease; paroxysm. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. ex- + occipital. ] (Anat.) Pertaining to a bone or region on each side of the great foremen of the skull. -- n. The exoccipital bone, which often forms a part of the occipital in the adult, but is usually distinct in the young.

a. [ Cf. OF. hospitable, LL. hospitare to receive as a guest. See Host a landlord. ] 1. Receiving and entertaining strangers or guests with kindness and without reward; kind to strangers and guests; characterized by hospitality. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Proceeding from or indicating kindness and generosity to guests and strangers; as, hospitable rites. [ 1913 Webster ]

To where you taper cheers the vale
With hospitable ray. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being hospitable; hospitality. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a hospitable manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. hospitagium, for L. hospitium. See Hospice. ] Hospitality. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. hospital, ospital, F. hôpital, LL. hospitale (or perh. E. hospital is directly from the Late Latin), from L. hospitalis relating to a guest, hospitalia apartments for guests, fr. hospes guest. See Host a landlord, and cf. Hostel, Hotel, Spital. ] 1. A place for shelter or entertainment; an inn. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A building in which the sick, injured, or infirm are received and treated; a public or private institution founded for reception and cure, or for the refuge, of persons diseased in body or mind, or disabled, infirm, or dependent, and in which they are treated either at their own expense, or more often by charity in whole or in part; a tent, building, or other place where the sick or wounded of an army cared for. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hospital ship, a vessel fitted up for a floating hospital. --
Hospital Sunday, a Sunday set apart for simultaneous contribution in churches to hospitals; as, the London Hospital Sunday. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. hospitalis: cf. OF. hospital. ] Hospitable. [ Obs. ] Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Written also hospitaller. ] [ F. hospitalier. See Hospital, and cf. Hostler. ] 1. One residing in a hospital, for the purpose of receiving the poor, the sick, and strangers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One of an order of knights who built a hospital at Jerusalem for pilgrims, A. D. 1042. They were called Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, and after the removal of the order to Malta, Knights of Malta. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A form of medical insurance that pays for all or part of the fees for a person's residence and treatment in a hospital. [ PJC ]

v. t. To place (a person) in a hospital in order to receive medical treatment, for observation, or for rest. [ Chiefly Brit. ]
Syn. -- hospitalize. [ PJC ]

n. (Med.) A vitiated condition of the body, due to long confinement in a hospital, or the morbid condition of the atmosphere of a hospital. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Hospitalities [ L. hospitalitas: cf. F. hospitalité. ] The act or practice of one who is hospitable; reception and entertainment of strangers or guests without reward, or with kind and generous liberality. [ 1913 Webster ]

Given to hospitality. Rom. xii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

And little recks to find the way to heaven
By doing deeds of hospitality. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. medical care in a hospital; also, the period during which one receives care in a hospital.
Syn. -- hospital care. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. 1. (Med.) To render (a building) unfit for habitation, by long continued use as a hospital. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To place (a person) in a hospital in order to receive medical treatment, observation, or for rest.
Syn. -- hospitalise. [ PJC ]