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Of or pertaining to the head. [Obs.] Needs must the Serpent now his capital bruise Expect with mortal pain. Milton.

One who has capital; one who has money for investment, or money invested; esp. a person of large property, which is employed in business. The expenditure of the capitalist. Burke.

The act or process of capitalizing.

To convert into capital, or to use as capital.

In a way involving the forfeiture of the head or life; as, to punish capitally.

The quality of being capital; preeminence. [R.]

The first letter of the English and of many other alphabets. The capital A of the alphabets of Middle and Western Europe, as also the small letter (a), besides the forms in Italic, black letter, etc., are all descended from the old Latin A, which was borrowed from the Greek Alpha, of the same form; and this was made fr…

The uppermost member or division of the capital of a column, immediately under the architrave. See Column.

ment resembling the foliage or leaves of the acanthus (Acanthus spinosus); -- used in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders.

faculties and powers to be the same, far more may be achieved in any line by the aid of a capital, invigorating motive than without it. I. Taylor.

A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds; hence, in the plural, equivalent to stocks. [A Gallicism] [Obs.] The Euripus of funds and actions. Burke.

Applied to all verbs that express action as distinct from mere existence or state. Active capital, Active wealth, money, or property that may readily be converted into money.

A furnishing of something before an equivalent is received (as money or goods), towards a capital or stock, or on loan; payment beforehand; the money or goods thus furnished; money or value supplied beforehand. I shall, with pleasure, make the necessary advances. Jay. The account was made up with intent to show what ad…

aining the dip of strata. -- Angle shaft (Arch.), an enriched angle bead, often having a capital or base, or both. -- Curvilineal angle, one formed by two curved lines. -- External angles, angles formed by the sides of any right-lined figure, when the sides are produced or lengthened. -- Facial angle. See under Fac…

ed by itself, or with other moldings. It is used, several times repeated, under the Doric capital.

uced by thickening a wall at its termination, treated architecturally as a pilaster, with capital and base.

Of or performance to Argos, the capital of Argolis in Greece. -- n.

e sphere which is perpendicular to the plane of the circle. Hutton. -- Axis of the Ionic capital (Arch.), a line passing perpendicularly through the middle of the eye of the volute. -- Neutral axis (Mech.), the line of demarcation between the horizontal elastic forces of tension and compression, exerted by the fibers…

from Greek B (Beta), of Semitic origin. The small b was formed by gradual change from the capital B.

fund from deposits or contributions, to be used in transacting business; a joint stock or capital. [Obs.] Let it be no bank or common stock, but every man be master of his own money. Bacon.