CAPITAL, a.

1. Literally pertaining to the head; as, a capital bruise, in Milton, a bruise on the head. [This use is not common.]
2. Figuratively, as the head is the highest part of a man, chief; principal; first in importance; as, a capital city or town; the capital articles of religion.
3. Punishable by loss of the bead or of life; incurring the forfeiture of life; punishable with death; as, treason and murder are capital offenses or crimes.
4. Taking away life, as a capital punishment; or affecting life, as a capital trial.
5. Great, important, though perhaps not chief; as, a town possesses capital advantages for trade.
6. Large; of great size; as capital letters, which are of different form, and larger than common letters. Capital stock, is the sum of money or stock which a merchant, banker or manufacturer employs in his business; either the original stock or that stock augmented, Also, the sum of money or stock which each partner contributes to the joint fund or stock of the partnership; also, the common fund or stock of the company, whether incorporated or not. A capital city or town is the metropolis or chief city of an empire, kingdom, state or province. The application of the epithet indicates the city to be the largest, or to be the seat of government, or both. In many instances the capital, that is, the largest city, is not the seat of government.

1. The uppermost part of a column, pillar, or pilaster, serving as the head or crowing, and placed immediatedly over the shaft, and under the entablature. – Encyc. By the customary omission of the noun, to which the adjective capital refers, it stands for,
2. The chief city or town in a kingdom or state; a metropolis.
3. A large letter or type, in printing.
4. A stock in trade, in manufactures, or in any business requiring the expenditure of money with a view to profit.

1. Of or pertaining to the head.
   
   
   [Obs.]

   Needs must the Serpent now his capital bruise
   Expect with mortal pain.
   Milton.

2. The head or uppermost member of a column, pilaster, etc. It consists generally of three parts, abacus, bell (or vase), and necking. See these terms, and Column.
3. Having reference to, or involving, the forfeiture of the head or life] affecting life; punishable with death; as, capital trials; capital punishment.
   
   

   Many crimes that are capital among us.
   Swift.

   To put to death a capital offender.
   Milton.

4. The seat of government; the chief city or town in a country; a metropolis.
   
   
   "A busy and splendid capital" Macauly.
5. First in importance; chief; principal.
   
   

   A capital article in religion
   Atterbury.

   Whatever is capital and essential in Christianity.
   I. Taylor.

6. Money, property, or stock employed in trade, manufactures, etc.; the sum invested or lent, as distinguished from the income or interest. See Capital stock, under Capital, a.
7. Chief, in a political sense, as being the seat of the general government of a state or nation; as, Washington and Paris are capital cities.
8. That portion of the produce of industry, which may be directly employed either to support human beings or to assist in production.
   
   
   M'Culloch.

   * When wealth is used to assist production it is called capital. The capital of a civilized community includes fixed capital (i.e. buildings, machines, and roads used in the course of production and exchange) amd circulating capital (i.e., food, fuel, money, etc., spent in the course of production and exchange). T. Raleigh.

9. Of first rate quality; excellent; as, a capital speech or song.
   
   
   [Colloq.]

   Capital letter [F, lettre capitale] (Print.), a leading or heading letter, used at the beginning of a sentence and as the first letter of certain words, distinguished, for the most part, both by different form and larger size, from the small (lower-case) letters, which form the greater part of common print or writing. -- Small capital letters have the form of capital letters and height of the body of the lower-case letters. -- Capital stock, money, property, or stock invested in any business, or the enterprise of any corporation or institution. Abbott.

   Syn. -- Chief; leading; controlling; prominent.

10. Anything which can be used to increase one's power or influence.
    
    

    He tried to make capital out of his rival's discomfiture.
    London Times.

11. An imaginary line dividing a bastion, ravelin, or other work, into two equal parts.
12. A chapter, or section, of a book.
    
    
    [Obs.]

    Holy St. Bernard hath said in the 59th capital.
    Sir W. Scott.

13. See Capital letter, under Capital, a.
    
    

    Active capital. See under Active, -- Small capital (Print.), a small capital letter. See under Capital, a. -- To live on one's capital, to consume one's capital without producing or accumulating anything to replace it.