n. 1 a small soluble case of gelatine enclosing a dose of medicine and swallowed with it. 2 a detachable compartment of a spacecraft or nose-cone of a rocket. 3 an enclosing membrane in the body. 4 a a dry fruit that releases its seeds when ripe. b the spore-producing part of mosses and liverworts. 5 Biol. an enveloping layer surrounding certain bacteria. 6 (attrib.) concise; highly condensed (a capsule history of jazz). capsular adj. capsulate adj.
[ F f. L capsula f. capsa CASE(2) ]