4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Capital  \Cap"i*tal\,  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.] 
 
  Needs  must  the  Serpent  now  his  capital  bruise  Expect 
  with  mortal  pain.  --Milton. 
 
  2.  Having  reference  to  or  involving,  the  forfeiture  of  the 
  head  or  life;  affecting  life;  punishable  with  death;  as 
  capital  trials;  capital  punishment. 
 
  Many  crimes  that  are  capital  among  us  --Swift. 
 
  To  put  to  death  a  capital  offender.  --Milton. 
 
  3.  First  in  importance;  chief;  principal. 
 
  A  capital  article  in  religion  --Atterbury. 
 
  Whatever  is  capital  and  essential  in  Christianity. 
  --I.  Taylor. 
 
  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. 
 
  5.  Of  first  rate  quality;  excellent;  as  a  capital  speech  or 
  song.  [Colloq.] 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Capital  \Cap"i*tal\,  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}. 
 
  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. 
 
  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. 
 
  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. 
 
  Note:  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)  amd 
  circulating  capital  (i.e.,  food,  fuel,  money,  etc., 
  spent  in  the  course  of  production  and  exchange).  --T. 
  Raleigh. 
 
  5.  Anything  which  can  be  used  to  increase  one's  power  or 
  influence. 
 
  He  tried  to  make  capital  out  of  his  rival's 
  discomfiture.  --London 
  Times. 
 
  6.  (Fort.)  An  imaginary  line  dividing  a  bastion,  ravelin,  or 
  other  work  into  two  equal  parts 
 
  7.  A  chapter,  or  section,  of  a  book.  [Obs.] 
 
  Holy  St  Bernard  hath  said  in  the  59th  capital. 
  --Sir  W. 
  Scott. 
 
  8.  (Print.)  See  {Capital  letter},  under  {Capital},  a. 
 
  {Active  capital}.  See  under  {Active}, 
 
  {Small  capital}  (Print.),  a  small  capital  letter.  See  under 
  {Capital},  a. 
 
  {To  live  on  one's  capital},  to  consume  one's  capital  without 
  producing  or  accumulating  anything  to  replace  it 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  capital 
  adj  :  uppercase;  "capital  A";  "great  A";  "many  medieval 
  manuscripts  are  in  majuscule  script"  [syn:  {great},  {majuscule}] 
  n  1:  assets  available  for  use  in  the  production  of  further  assets 
  [syn:  {working  capital}] 
  2:  the  material  wealth  owned  by  a  person  or  a  business 
  3:  a  seat  of  government 
  4:  printers  once  kept  type  for  capitals  and  small  letters  in 
  separate  cases;  capitals  were  kept  in  the  upper  half  of 
  the  type  case  [syn:  {upper  case},  {upper-case  letter}] 
  [ant:  {small  letter}] 
  5:  the  upper  part  of  a  column  that  supports  the  entablature 
  [syn:  {chapiter},  {cap}] 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  CAPITAL,  n.  The  seat  of  misgovernment.  That  which  provides  the  fire, 
  the  pot,  the  dinner,  the  table  and  the  knife  and  fork  for  the 
  anarchist;  the  part  of  the  repast  that  himself  supplies  is  the 
  disgrace  before  meat.  _Capital  Punishment_,  a  penalty  regarding  the 
  justice  and  expediency  of  which  many  worthy  persons  --  including  all 
  the  assassins  --  entertain  grave  misgivings. 
 
 

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