capsule

[ kap-suhl, -sool, -syool ]

/ ˈkæp səl, -sul, -syul /

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See synonyms for: capsule / capsuled / capsuling on Thesaurus.com

noun

Pharmacology. a gelatinous case enclosing a dose of medicine.

Biology.

a membranous sac or integument.
either of two strata of white matter in the cerebrum.
the sporangium of various spore-producing organisms, as ferns, mosses, algae, and fungi.

Botany. a dry dehiscent fruit, composed of two or more carpels.

a small case, envelope, or covering.

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.

Aviation. a similar cabin in a military aircraft, which can be ejected from the aircraft in an emergency.

a thin metal covering for the mouth of a corked bottle.

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.

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

to capsulize.

adjective

small and compact.

short and concise; brief and summarized: a capsule report.

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Origin of capsule

First recorded in 1645–55; 1950–55 for def. 5; from French or directly from Latin capsula, equivalent to caps(a) “box” + -ula diminutive suffix; see origin at case², -ule

OTHER WORDS FROM capsule

un·cap·suled, adjective

Words nearby capsule

capstan lathe, capstan table, capstone, capsular, capsulate, capsule, capsule range, capsule wardrobe, capsulize, capt., captain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use capsule in a sentence

The capsule did safely return to Earth, however, and provided valuable test data on the way.
Boeing and NASA target December for second try at uncrewed orbital demonstration flight|Darrell Etherington|August 28, 2020|TechCrunch
That portion is based on Lockheed Martin’s Orion crew capsule that will be used to take humans into space on other missions.
Here’s what NASA’s next moon lander may look like|Aaron Pressman|August 21, 2020|Fortune
That would make it a time capsule of the early solar system.
In a first, astronomers spotted a space rock turning into a comet|Lisa Grossman|August 18, 2020|Science News
“In terms of a small capsule project, we haven’t done those kinds of numbers before,” he told Quartz.
The Covid-19 tie-dye boom is real|Jenni Avins|August 10, 2020|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.
The Story Behind the Eiffel Tower’s Forgotten Competitors|Fiona Zublin|August 10, 2020|Ozy
What waited was a capsule that was just as majestic as the celebration.
New York’s Century-Old Time Capsule Is a Dud|Justin Jones|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A 1914 time capsule forgotten for years was finally opened at the New York Historical Society.
New York’s Century-Old Time Capsule Is a Dud|Justin Jones|October 8, 2014|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.
New York’s Century-Old Time Capsule Is a Dud|Justin Jones|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The treasures found within the capsule were mostly records that reflected those immediately involved with its planning.
New York’s Century-Old Time Capsule Is a Dud|Justin Jones|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In addition to acting and singing, the British model is now set to launch her first capsule collection with DKNY this November.
Kate Hudson Defends Butt Implants; Cara Delevingne Is Designing For DKNY|The Fashion Beast Team|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Each is surrounded by a gelatinous capsule, which is its distinctive feature (Fig. 9).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Recognition of the pneumococcus depends upon its morphology, the fact that it is Gram-staining, and the presence of a capsule.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
When they form short chains, demonstration of the capsule is necessary to distinguish them from streptococci.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
During the time it is red, the outer shell is soft, but ultimately becomes perfectly hard, and resembles a wooden capsule.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
It has a flower of pale green color and its fruit is a capsule containing three small brown seeds, with patches of black.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various

British Dictionary definitions for capsule

capsule

/ (ˈkæpsjuːl) /

noun

a soluble case of gelatine enclosing a dose of medicine

a thin metal cap, seal, or cover, such as the foil covering the cork of a wine bottle

botany

a dry fruit that liberates its seeds by splitting, as in the violet, or through pores, as in the poppy
the spore-producing organ of mosses and liverworts

bacteriol a gelatinous layer of polysaccharide or protein surrounding the cell wall of some bacteria: thought to be responsible for the virulence in pathogens

anatomy

a cartilaginous, fibrous, or membranous envelope surrounding any of certain organs or parts
a broad band of white fibres (internal capsule) near the thalamus in each cerebral hemisphere

See space capsule

an aeroplane cockpit that can be ejected in a flight emergency, complete with crew, instruments, etc

(modifier) in a highly concise forma capsule summary

(modifier) (in the fashion industry) consisting of a few important representative itemsa capsule collection

Word Origin for capsule

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for capsule

capsule

[ kăp′səl, -sōōl ]

A dry dehiscent fruit that develops from two or more carpels, as in the poppy and the cottonwood tree.

The sporangium (the hollow spore-producing structure) of mosses and other bryophytes.

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.

capsule

Origin of capsule

OTHER WORDS FROM capsule

Words nearby capsule

Words related to capsule

How to use capsule in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for capsule

Word Origin for capsule

Scientific definitions for capsule