capsule

[kap-suh l, -sool, -syool]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR capsule 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.

Origin of capsule

1645–55; 1950–55 for def 5; (< F) < Latin capsula, equivalent to caps(a) box (see case²) + -ula -ule

Related formsun·cap·suled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for capsule

pellet, pill, dose, canned, condensed, tabloid, pocket, potted, abridged, lozenge, cap, bolus, troche

Examples from the Web for capsule

Contemporary Examples of capsule

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
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
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
And this capsule will be able to dock itself, without needing the ISS to grab ahold and guide it in.
SpaceX’s Dragon V2 Will Land Exactly Where It Wants To
Zach Rosenberg
May 30, 2014
By working together on this capsule collection, we hope to instill a sense of power, confidence and beauty in women everywhere.
‘Pretty Little Liars’ Star Acknowledges 'GQ' Photoshop; Joseph Altuzarra Tapped as Next Target Collection Fashion Designer
The Fashion Beast Team
May 22, 2014

Historical Examples of capsule

Capsular: in the form of a capsule or little cup-like container.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith
The capsule splits into four valves, something like a liverwort.
Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany
Douglas Houghton Campbell
The capsule was on its back and Brandon was still strapped securely to the seat.
The Quantum Jump
Robert Wicks
And maybe another ten to give the capsule time to slow down.
The Quantum Jump
Robert Wicks
Is it the capsule of a plant, from which the lid has dropped, allowing the seeds to fall?
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles
Jean Henri Fabre

British Dictionary definitions for capsule

capsule

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

Word Origin and History for capsule

1650s, from French capsule "a membranous sac" (16c.), from Latin capsula "small box or chest," diminutive of capsa "box, case, chest" (see case (n.2)). Medicinal sense is 1875; shortened form cap is from 1942. Sense in space capsule is first recorded 1954. As an adjective from 1938. Related: Capsular.

capsule in Medicine

capsule

[kăp′səl, -sōōl]

n.

A fibrous, membranous, or fatty sheath that encloses an organ or part, such as the sac surrounding the kidney or the fibrous tissues that surround a joint.

A small soluble container, usually made of gelatin, that encloses a dose of an oral medicine or a vitamin.

The thin-walled, spore-containing structure of mosses and related plants.

Related formscap′su•lar (kăp′sə-lər) adj.

capsule in Science

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.