capsule

[ kap-suhl, -sool, -syool ]

noun

1. Pharmacology. a gelatinous case enclosing a dose of medicine.
2. Biology.
   1. a membranous sac or integument.
   2. either of two strata of white matter in the cerebrum.
   3. the sporangium of various spore-producing organisms, such as ferns, mosses, algae, and fungi.
3. Botany. a dry dehiscent fruit, composed of two or more carpels.
4. a small case, envelope, or covering.
5. Also called space capsule. Aerospace. a sealed cabin, container, or vehicle in which a person or animal can ride in flight in space or at very high altitudes within the earth's atmosphere.
6. Aviation. a similar cabin in a military aircraft, which can be ejected from the aircraft in an emergency.
7. a thin metal covering for the mouth of a corked bottle.
8. a concise report; brief outline:

   An appendix to the book contains biographical capsules of the contributors.

verb (used with object)

, cap·suled, cap·sul·ing.

1. to furnish with or enclose in or as if in a capsule; encapsulate.
2. to capsulize.

adjective

1. small and compact.
2. short and concise; brief and summarized:

   a capsule report.

3. containing only the most essential and versatile items of a particular kind:

   capsule wardrobe;

   capsule pantry.

capsule

/ ˈkæpsjuːl /

noun

1. a soluble case of gelatine enclosing a dose of medicine
2. a thin metal cap, seal, or cover, such as the foil covering the cork of a wine bottle
3. botany
   1. a dry fruit that liberates its seeds by splitting, as in the violet, or through pores, as in the poppy
   2. the spore-producing organ of mosses and liverworts
4. bacteriol a gelatinous layer of polysaccharide or protein surrounding the cell wall of some bacteria: thought to be responsible for the virulence in pathogens
5. anatomy
   1. a cartilaginous, fibrous, or membranous envelope surrounding any of certain organs or parts
   2. a broad band of white fibres ( internal capsule ) near the thalamus in each cerebral hemisphere
6. See space capsule
7. an aeroplane cockpit that can be ejected in a flight emergency, complete with crew, instruments, etc
8. modifier in a highly concise form

   a capsule summary

9. modifier (in the fashion industry) consisting of a few important representative items

   a capsule collection

capsule

/ kăp′səl,-so̅o̅l /

1. A dry dehiscent fruit that develops from two or more carpels, as in the poppy and the cottonwood tree.
2. The sporangium (the hollow spore-producing structure) of mosses and other bryophytes.
3. The outer layer of viscous polysaccharide or polypeptide slime with which some bacteria cover their cell walls. Capsules provide defense against phagocytes and prevent the bacteria from drying out.

Other Words From

• un·cap·suled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of capsule¹

First recorded in 1645–55; 1950–55 capsule fordef 5; from French or directly from Latin capsula, equivalent to caps(a) “box” + -ula diminutive suffix; case ², -ule

Word History and Origins

Origin of capsule¹

C17: from French, from Latin capsula, diminutive of capsa box

Example Sentences

The capsule did safely return to Earth, however, and provided valuable test data on the way.

From TechCrunch

That portion is based on Lockheed Martin’s Orion crew capsule that will be used to take humans into space on other missions.

From Fortune

That would make it a time capsule of the early solar system.

From Science News

“In terms of a small capsule project, we haven’t done those kinds of numbers before,” he told Quartz.

From Quartz

Later assessments by those with a firmer grasp of physics estimated the capsule would have hit the water at a bone-mulching 180 mph.

From Ozy

What waited was a capsule that was just as majestic as the celebration.

From The Daily Beast

A 1914 time capsule forgotten for years was finally opened at the New York Historical Society.

From The Daily Beast

The New York Historical Society plans to seal a new time capsule this week that is more reflective of our current pop culture.

From The Daily Beast

The treasures found within the capsule were mostly records that reflected those immediately involved with its planning.

From The Daily Beast

In addition to acting and singing, the British model is now set to launch her first capsule collection with DKNY this November.

From The Daily Beast

Each is surrounded by a gelatinous capsule, which is its distinctive feature (Fig. 9).

From Project Gutenberg

Recognition of the pneumococcus depends upon its morphology, the fact that it is Gram-staining, and the presence of a capsule.

From Project Gutenberg

When they form short chains, demonstration of the capsule is necessary to distinguish them from streptococci.

From Project Gutenberg

During the time it is red, the outer shell is soft, but ultimately becomes perfectly hard, and resembles a wooden capsule.

From Project Gutenberg

It has a flower of pale green color and its fruit is a capsule containing three small brown seeds, with patches of black.

From Project Gutenberg