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 ]