capellet 
capellet (knp'c-lct), . [< F. rtipelrt, < LL. 
fiipfllflinii, fiii/flli lux, a little cap, dim. nf -/ 
pilla, a cap, capo, hood, dim. <>l I-II/HI, fii/i/iii, a 
cap, cape: see cp l , cnpri.] A kind of swell- 
ing like n wen. growing on the back part of a 
horse's hock, ur on the point of the elbow. Also 
written fiip/ili I. 
capellina (Sp. pron. kii-pc-lyc'iiii), 11. [Sp., an 
iron helmet, the headpiece of a helmet: see 
eapc.linf.} In lire western mining districts of 
the United States, n vessel employed in sepa- 
rating (In 1 quicksilver from the amalgam. H. 
II'. llnllfck. 
capelline. . See 
capellmeister, n. 
cape-merchant t, cap-merchantt, . [An E. 
accom. ul 1 It. m/Hi. head (see en/if-), + mcrettnte, 
merchant isee /in-i-fl/iiiil).'] A master merchant. 
Ill-ally - ((() 'I'lle jitlrscr nr slipcicaru" of a ship, i/o 
E in rhiL-i manager of t ra< I inu -\pciiitinn or of a factory. 
laicry of the pcttie marchants to shewe his reckoning 
to the '"/' intifi-l'ilut, \vlien they, or an> of them, shall he 
required. llxkliii/t t'm/age*, I. 228. 
The president and Captain Martin's sickness compelled 
me to In- <''ti', t ,i>'i-''l"it. 
Captain Julut Xmitli, ((noted in Tyler's Anicr. Lit., I. 23. 
caper 1 (ka'per), r. i. [Short for equiv. eiipri- 
iife, formerly spelled cni/rcall, < It. capriolare, 
caper, leap about as a goat or kid (caprii/lti, > 
I', capriole, now calirinlc. a caper, u capriole), < 
rapriiiln. a kid (as dim. of ciiprio, a roebuck, a 
wild goat), < [,. en /in nl HX, a kind of wild goat, 
dim. of (Mlj.) fti/n-fits, in fern, form caprea, a 
wild goat, prop, adj., < caper, m. (ML. also ca- 
bro(n-)), a no-goat, copra, f., a she-goat (> It. 
capro, m., capra, t., = Sp. cabron, m., cabra, t., 
= Pg. cabro, m., cabra, f., = Pr. cabra, {., = F. 
cubri (< ML. capritus), m., OF. chevre, chievre, 
F. chevre, t., > ult. E. ehereril, chcrrette, chcrron, 
etc.). Cf. Gr. KaT/jof, a boar; AS. ft<r/Vr= Icel. 
hafr, a buck, a he-goat. See capret, capriole.'] 
To leap; skip or jump; prance; spring: as, to 
caper about (as a lamb or a child) ; "making 
a roan horse caper," Tennyson, Lancelot and 
Elaine. 
He capers, he dances, ho has eyes of youth. 
Shak., M. W. of W., 11L 2. 
caper 1 (ka'p6r), . [< caperi, t'.] A leap; a 
skip or spring, as in dancing or mirth, or in the 
frolic of a kid or lamb, or a child; hence, a 
sportive or capricious action ; a prank. 
We that are true lovers run into strange capers. 
Shak., As you Like It, II. 4. 
To cut capers. Sec cut. 
caper 2 (ka'per), . [Of the product, usually in 
pi. capers; ME. caperis, cappares, capneris, after 
L. ; < F. caprc, cappre, now cdpre = It. cappcro 
(= Sp. Pg. with Ar. article alcaparra) = D. kap- 
prr = G.Kaper = Dan. kapcrs = Sw. ka/iris, < L. 
cnpparis, < Gr. Ka-irapic, the caper-plant, a ca- 
per, < Ar. kabbar, qabbdr = Pers. kabar, capers.] 
A plant, Capparin xpinnxn, the buds of which 
(called capcrx) are much used as a condiment. 
The hush Is a low shrub, growing on old walls, in tlssures 
of rocks, or among rubbish, In the countries bordering the 
Caper-bush ( Caffarfs *f>inaja\ 
Meilitcrranean. Tin' huds are collected ami pnwrvod in 
viae^ar. In some parts of Italy the unripe fruit is em 
ployed iii the same Nay. Also called rapcr-buxh or 
I'lntit. ami formerly t-ajn'r -!>< . 
803 
caper 3 (ka'per). . [= <;. kaprr = !'. tOfTt, ' 
1). kiipi-r (= Dun. ka/nr = Sw. l.uixn;), a privu- 
ti-i-r, < kii/i' n = Sw. kii/iH (cf. (i. Icapern = Dan. 
/ "/>"', from the noun), take, seize, make a pri/.e 
of at sea: see r/> :; . ] \</n/., a light-armed ves- 
sel of the seventeenth century, used by the 
Dutch for privateering. 
The trade into tin- Straight ran m-illnT ! wcureil by 
our un . on\o\ -. nor t.\ tli>> I'n nrh tltreU In the ilwliter- 
i:un an. friiin tin- Dutch fnjfr*. 
if II tin- lluk.-of(linion,!.\V,irk, I. 122. 
caperatet. . [< L. caperattm, p|>. of cnpfrnrf, 
\\rinkli'. i iraw together in wrinkles.] Tofrown. 
Coll*. 1717. 
caper-bush (ka'per-biwh), n. Same as c/ ;'-'. 
capercaillie, capercailzie (kn-per-kal'yi.- 
[A book-word of uncertain etym., and hence 
of unstable form; also written <;i//i-ri;illi/ t and 
formerly riipi n-nilli , -rni/llii , -mill , -ciilli, , -ml/, 
-ctili/. -i:iilli/, -nilfi/, -i-iiil, -1,'iiillif, i;i/iln r-l i lit : 
also cnpercailyie, "/ nv/////c or wilde horse" 
(Boece, tr., A. D. 1536), capercalueane, and (with 
- repr. the old form of y, ana properly pro- 
nounced y) mi/irmilzie (A. D. 16-1), -cal:e (said 
to liave been firat used A. D. 1578), -kailsei, etc. ; 
Capercaillie , Tttrao 
Latinized capricalca ; a Sc. word of Gael, ori- 
gin, the Gael, form being capull-coille, erplained 
as the ' cock of the wood,' or lit. the ' horse of 
the wood' (appar., like the NL. name vrogal- 
lus, 'ox-cock,* in ref. to its size), < capull, horse, 
or rather mare (see raiw/ 1 ), + coille, a wood, 
forest. But the Gael, form may be an accom. 
one, and the word is otherwise explained as < 
Gael, cabhar, a hawk, any old bird, -rwoiteac/i, 
a cock. Cf . Gael. comp. coilcach-coillc, a wood- 
cock (cMlle, a wood) ; coileach-dubh, a black- 
cock (dubli, black) ; coileach-fraoich, a moor- 
cock or red-grouse cock (fraoch, heath, moor) ; 
coileach-vulhchc, an owl, lit. night-cock (oulhche, 
night).] The Scotch name for the wood-grouse, 
Tetrao urogallus, the largest of the gallinaceous 
birds of Europe, the male sometimes weighing 
12 to 13 pounds. It U most frequently found In the 
northern parts of the continent of Europe, Norway and 
Sweiien being its favorite homes. For some time ft was 
almost or wholly extinct In Great Britain ; but It now 
auain holds a place In the Britlslv fauna, and constitutes 
one of its greatest ornaments. The male Is commonly 
called the mmintain-ntrk or 
The ca/H'i' flititt, with its white-and-purple blossoms, 
nourishes alnon- the piles of nihhish. 
D. Taylor, Lands of the Saracen, p. 206. 
Bean-Caper, the /i/'ii>ht!l!tn I-'iifni : in. the tlower-buds of 
wtiichare ns< ii avcapvis. Wild caper, the caper-spurge. 
t-:*i!>hrtini l,ntlnirin, whose immature capsules are a*ed 
as u suttstitutc for real capers. 
capercalzet, Same as capercaillie. 
caperclawt, capperclawt, f. < [Erroneous 
forms of rluppfi -iln w.] To tear with the nails ; 
clapperclaw; abuse. 
He rai/en-lnirfth Reza very tore. Birch. 
caper-cutting (ka'por-kut'ing), a. Dancing in 
a frolicsome manner ; nighty. Beau, and Fl. 
caperdewsiet, . [Origin unknown.] The 
stocks. 
I here engage myself to loose ye, 
And free your heels from caperdnane. 
S. Butler, lludilmu, II. I. 831. 
caperer (ka'per-er), n. One who capers, leaps, 
:uid skips about, or dances frolicsomely. 
The nimble capfrfr on the cord. 
lh-yilrn. tr. of Juvenal's Satire*. 
caperkailliet (ka-per-kal'ye), n. Same as ea- 
1,1'ffilillir. 
caperlash (kii'per-lash), n. [E.dial.] Abusive 
l:ui";ii!ige. lltillhrfll. [North. Eng.] 
), . [< It. 
caperlonger (ka-per-long'ger) 
!'///,/<! (now Innffa), pi. " cappelonglie, a kinde of 
long skallops or cockles" (Florio): capi/n. :\ 
cape: Imnjn, lini/i/i. tem. of lonijo. lungo, long: 
see cii/n >l ami /<ii;/l.] A bivnlve mollusk of the 
family Pinnidte or wing-shells, Pinna pectinnta. 
capibara 
luivinga wedge-shaped shell gapingat the broad 
end: the liirgi-ht nf Hritisli bivnlvi-s. [Local at 
l'l\ iiiinitli in Knglnnd.] 
capernoity (kap-er-noi'ti), a. [Also capper- 
niii/i/, -,,<,iti<, -/:ii>,,, -i/,,i/, ,'l ; fnniiution uiiiM-r- 
t:iin.) Crabbed; irritable; peevish. .Inmieson. 
[Beoteh.1 
capernoity (kap-or-noi'ti), n. [Cf. capernoity, 
n.J The noddle. Jamieson. [Scotch.] 
caperont, " [< it. mi>i"' ronf i u 
caper.] A kind of caper. See extract. 
Capprroni (It.], a kind of great open for nallcti, railed 
cnjifforu. I 
caper-plant ( ka'per-plant), H. Same as caper*. 
capers t ka'per/. i, . //. The buds of the caper- 
|ihlllt. See /-ilj/er' 1 . 
caper-sauce (ka'per-sAs), n. A sauce seasoned 
with or eimtaining capers: usually a white 
sauco. 
caper-spurge (ka'per-sperj). n. A plant, - 
l/lnirliiii Lutl/yrix, also called iriW caper. See 
nip, i- and xpiiriif. 
caper-tea (ka'per-te), n. A peculiar kind of 
black tea, with a knotty curled leaf, so named 
from its fancied resemblance to the caper. 
caper-tree (kfi'per-tre). n. The Capimrin no- 
liilix, a small tree of Australia, with a pulpy 
fruit of the size of a large orange. 
Capetian (ka-pe'shian), a. [After F. Capttitn, 
(. Capet."] Pertaining or relating to the pos- 
terity of Hugh Capet, founder of the dynasty 
which succeeded the Frankish Carolingians on 
the throne of France (A. D. 987): as. the Capf- 
tian family or dynasty; Capetian documents. 
The succeeding royal houses (that of Valois, 1328, and that 
of Bourbon, lf>si) IHMIIK of the same blood, Capet was popu- 
larly considered their family name ; hence Louis XVI. wu 
arraigned In-fore the National Convention under the name 
of Louis Capet. 
capeuna (kap-o-o'nii), . [Bra/..] A fish of 
the family Hcemulonidee, Hamilton tririttatvm 
or i/Hiiilriliiifiituin. It ha a more slender body and 
smaller mouth than most of its congeners, and the body 
has three or four distinct longitudinal golden streaks on 
the shies. It Inhabits the Carlbliean sea and Brazilian 
coast. Also called whitt grunt. 
cape-weed (kap' wed), . 1. The archil lichen, 
Koccflla tinctoria : so called from the Cape 
Verd islands, whence the article is exported. 
2. In Australia, the Cryptostemma calendula- 
f a, a composite plant of South Africa (the 
Cape), allied to the marigold, which has become 
extensively naturalized in some districts. 
capful (kap'fiil), n. [<<;<! + -ful.'] As much 
as fills a cap ; a small quantity. 
There came a cupful of grape right in our faces. 
H'. //. KuatU. 
A capful of wind (uf.), a moderate gale lasting only a 
short time. 
I warrant you you were frightened, wa'n't yon, last 
night, when It blew but a capful of iriml. 
Dtfoe, Robinton Onaoe. 
caph, kaph (kaf), i. [Heb. kaph.] An ancient 
Jewish In |iiid measure, equal to about -1 pints, 
caphar (kaf'ttr), . [Ar. khafar, road-guard, 
road-toll, < khafara, watch, guard.] 1. A post 
or station where money is collected from pas- 
sengers for maintaining the security of the 
roads. 
I and my horse swam separately ashore : at a small dis- 
tance from thence was a cajthar, or turnpike. 
Rruce, .Source of the Nile, Int., p. M. 
2. The tax so collected. 
These Caphart are certain duties which Travellers are 
obliged to pay, at several passes upon the Road, to OftV 
cers, who attend In their appointed stations to receive 
them. Muiintlrrll, Aleplxi to Jerusalem, p. 4. 
In the self same place a Temple wu erected, . . . unto 
which the Arabians would not sutler us to ascend, . . . 
tintill we had payed the cnjtftar they demanded. 
Sandy*, Travaiies (UK!), p. 135. 
capias (ka'pi-as), H. [L., take (impv.), 2dpers. 
sing. pres. subj. (an impv. use) of capere, take: 
see capable.] In late, a writ in a civil action 
directing that the person of the defendant be 
taken into custody. The commonest kinds are the 
capia* ad rtfjtnndftidwn (take to answer), which Is Is- 
sued to arrest before judgment (this la the usual tense 
when the word capita Is used alone), and the capita ad 
tatitfacirnduiii (take to satisfy, usually abbreviated to 
en. MI.), which is Issued after judgment, for execution 
against the person. A tfgtatum capicu was a sectmit <>r 
further writ, allowed in certain cases where the return of 
the ttrst attested the absence of the defendant. 
capibara (kap-i-ba'rft), n. [Sp. Pg.. from the 
native name.] The cabiai, carpincho, or gi- 
gantic water-cavy of South America, Ilydro- 
duervn capibara, the largest living quadruped 
belonging to the hystricomorphic series of the 
simpbcident rodents ; the type and only known 
representative of the family Hi/drocharidir. it 
is related to the CariUir, lint dlmlnuuMicd from them by- 
certain cranial and dental characters. The animal is 3 
