[ca.price] n [F, fr. It capriccio caprice, shudder, perh. fr. capo head (fr. L caput) + riccio hedgehog, fr. L ericius--more at head, urchin] (1667) 1 a: a sudden, impulsive, and seemingly unmotivated notion or action b: a sudden usu. unpredictable condition, change, or series of changes "the ~s of the weather"
2: a disposition to do things impulsively
3: capriccio 3 syn caprice, whim, vagary, crotchet mean an irrational or unpredictable idea or desire. caprice stresses lack of apparent motivation and suggests willfulness "by sheer caprice she quit her job". whim implies a fantastic, capricious turn of mind or inclination "an odd antique that was bought on a whim". vagary stresses the erratic, irresponsible character of the notion or desire "recently he had been prone to strange vagaries". crotchet implies an eccentric opinion or preference "a serious scientist equally known for his bizarre crotchets".