GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

last match results

Found 2 definitions

1.       
   Capital , a. [F. capital, L. capitalis capital (in senses 1 & 2), fr. caput head. See Chief, and cf. Capital, n.]
   Of or pertaining to the head. [Obs.]
   1913 Webster
   Needs must the Serpent now his capital bruise
   Expect with mortal pain.
   Milton.
   
   1913 Webster
   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
   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
   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
   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
   
         
       

2.       
   capital , 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.]
   (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
   [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
   [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
   (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
   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
   (Fort.) An imaginary line dividing a bastion, ravelin, or other work, into two equal parts.
   1913 Webster
   A chapter, or section, of a book. [Obs.]
   1913 Webster
   Holy St. Bernard hath said in the 59th capital.
   Sir W. Scott.
   
   1913 Webster
   (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