capsule: Meaning and Definition of

cap•sule

Pronunciation: (kap'sul, -sl, -syl), [key]
— n., v., adj. -suled, -sul•ing,
—n.
  1. a gelatinous case enclosing a dose of medicine.
    1. a membranous sac or integument.
    2. either of two strata of white matter in the cerebrum.
    3. the sporangium of various spore-producing organisms, as ferns, mosses, algae, and fungi.
  2. a dry dehiscent fruit, composed of two or more carpels.
  3. a small case, envelope, or covering.
  4. Also calleda 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.
  5. a similar cabin in a military aircraft, which can be ejected from the aircraft in an emergency.
  6. a thin metal covering for the mouth of a corked bottle.
  7. a concise report; brief outline: An appendix to the book contains biographical capsules of the contributors.
—v.t.
  1. to furnish with or enclose in or as if in a capsule; encapsulate.
  2. to capsulize.
—adj.
  1. small and compact.
  2. short and concise; brief and summarized: a capsule report.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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