~ 1
■ noun
1》 the most important city or town of a country or region, usually its seat of government and administrative centre.
↘a place particularly associated with a specified activity: the fashion ~ of the world.
2》 wealth owned by a person or organization or invested, lent, or borrowed.
↘the excess of a company's assets over its liabilities.
3》 a ~ letter.
■ adjective
1》 (of an offence or charge) liable to the death penalty.
2》 (of a letter of the alphabet) large in size and of the form used to begin sentences and names.
3》 informal, dated excellent.
Phrases
make ~ out of use to one's own advantage.
with a ~ —— used for emphasis: she was ugly with a ~ U.
Derivatives
~ly adverb
Origin
ME (as adjective in the sense 'relating to the head or top'): via OFr. from L. ~is , from caput 'head'.
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~ 2
■ noun Architecture the distinct, typically broader section at the head of a pillar or column.
Origin
ME: from OFr. capitel , from late L. capitellum 'little head', dimin. of L. caput .