corporal 1
— corporality , n. — corporally , adv.
/kawr"peuhr euhl, -preuhl/ , adj.
1. of the human body; bodily; physical: corporal suffering.
2. Zool. of the body proper, as distinguished from the head and limbs.
3. personal: corporal possession.
4. Obs. corporeal; belonging to the material world.
[ 1350-1400; ME corporall ( corporalis bodily, equiv. to corpor- (s. of corpus CORPUS) + -alis -AL 1 ]
Syn. 1. material. See physical .
corporal 2
— corporalcy, corporalship , n.
/kawr"peuhr euhl, -preuhl/ , n.
1. Mil.
a. a noncommissioned officer ranking above a private first class in the U.S. Army or lance corporal in the Marines and below a sergeant.
b. a similar rank in the armed services of other countries.
2. ( cap. ) a U.S. surface-to-surface, single-stage ballistic missile.
[ 1570-80; caporal (influenced by corporal CORPORAL 1 ) caporale, appar. contr. of phrase capo corporale corporal head, i.e., head of a body (of soldiers). See CAPUT ]
corporal 3
/kawr"peuhr euhl, -preuhl/ , n. Eccles.
a fine cloth, usually of linen, on which the consecrated elements are placed or with which they are covered. Also called communion cloth .
[ 1350-1400; ME corporalle corporale ( pallium ) eucharistic (altar cloth); r. earlier corporas ]