caporal

¹ American  

[kap-er-uhl, kap-uh-ral] / ˈkæp ər əl, ˌkæp əˈræl /

noun

1. a variety of tobacco.

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caporal ² American  

[kap-uh-ral] / ˈkæp əˌræl /

noun

Southwestern U.S.

1. an overseer, especially of a cattle ranch.

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caporal British  

/ ˌkæpəˈrɑːl /

noun

1. a strong coarse dark tobacco

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Etymology

Origin of caporal¹

1840–50; short for French tabac du caporal tobacco of the corporal ²

Origin of caporal²

1590–1600; < Spanish: chief, manager < Italian; see corporal ²

Example Sentences

With arms folded and head bent, he looked more le gros caporal than ever.

From Angelot A Story of the First Empire by Price, Eleanor C. (Eleanor Catherine)

"I am the caporal in charge of the dépôt of the engineers in the cellar," continued my visitor, "and I thought I'd come in and see how you were."

From A Volunteer Poilu by Beston, Henry

They were heroes, nevertheless; and, I suppose, une fois caporal, toujours caporal.

From Elinor Wyllys, Volume 1 by Cooper, Susan Fenimore

Though he was a brutal leader, they were ready to follow him anywhere, and had been known to call him le gros caporal, so strong and obvious was this likeness.

From Angelot A Story of the First Empire by Price, Eleanor C. (Eleanor Catherine)

He entered the shop and emerged, not with caporal and cigarette-papers, but with the twelve Honduras stamps.

From The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol by Ball, Alec