Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

space capsule

 - 7 dictionary results
Capsule Earth
Feel Strong, Be Healthy. Save on Capsule Earth!
Vitamins.BizRate.com
Capsule Earth
Feel Strong, Be Healthy. Save on Capsule Earth!
Vitamins.BizRate.com

cap⋅sule

  [kap-suhl, -sool, -syool] noun, verb, -suled, -sul⋅ing, adjective
–noun
1. Pharmacology. a gelatinous case enclosing a dose of medicine.
2. Biology.
a. a membranous sac or integument.
b. either of two strata of white matter in the cerebrum.
c. the sporangium of various spore-producing organisms, as ferns, mosses, algae, and fungi.
3. Botany. a dry dehiscent fruit, composed of two or more carpels.
4. a small case, envelope, or covering.
5. Also called space capsule. Aerospace. a 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.
6. Aviation. a similar cabin in a military aircraft, which can be ejected from the aircraft in an emergency.
7. a thin metal covering for the mouth of a corked bottle.
8. a concise report; brief outline: An appendix to the book contains biographical capsules of the contributors.
–verb (used with object)
9. to furnish with or enclose in or as if in a capsule; encapsulate.
10. to capsulize.
–adjective
11. small and compact.
12. short and concise; brief and summarized: a capsule report.
Origin:
1645–55; 1950–55 for def. 5; (< F) < L capsula, equiv. to caps(a) box (see case 2 ) + -ula -ule
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To space capsule
space capsule  
n.  A vehicle or compartment of a vehicle designed to transport, protect, and support humans or animals in outer space or at very high altitudes in Earth's atmosphere.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

capsule 
1652, from Fr. capsule "a membranous sac," from L. capsula dim. of capsa "box, case, chest." Medical sense is 1875; shortened form cap is from 1942. Sense in space capsule is first recorded 1954. Capsulize, of news, etc., is from 1950.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: cap·sule
Pronunciation: 'kap-s&l, -(")sül
Function: noun
1 a : a membrane or saclike structure enclosing a part or organcapsule of the kidney> b : either of two layers or laminae of white matter in the cerebrum: (1) : a layer that consists largely of fibers passing to and fromthe cerebral cortex and that lies internal to the lentiform nucleus called also internal capsule (2) : one that lies between the lentiform nucleus and the claustrum called alsoexternal capsule
2 : a shell usually of gelatin for packaging something (as a drug or vitamins); also : a usually medicinal or nutritional preparation fororal use consisting of the shell and its contents
3 : a viscous or gelatinous often polysaccharide envelope surrounding certain microscopic organisms (as the pneumococcus)
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

capsule cap·sule (kāp'səl, -s&oomacr;l)
n.

  1. A fibrous, membranous, or fatty sheath that encloses an organ or part, such as the sac surrounding the kidney or the fibrous tissues that surround a joint.

  2. A small soluble container, usually made of gelatin, that encloses a dose of an oral medicine or a vitamin.

  3. The thin-walled, spore-containing structure of mosses and related plants.

cap'su·lar (kāp'sə-lər, -sy&oobreve;-) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
capsule   (kāp'səl, -sl)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A dry dehiscent fruit that develops from two or more carpels, as in the poppy and the cottonwood tree.

  2. The sporangium (the hollow spore-producing structure) of mosses and other bryophytes.

  3. The outer layer of viscous polysaccharide or polypeptide slime with which some bacteria cover their cell walls. Capsules provide defense against phagocytes and prevent the bacteria from drying out.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see space capsule on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way