Part 57

&fist; In capping verses, when one quotes a verse another must cap it by quoting one beginning with the last letter of the first letter, or with the first letter of the last word, or ending with a rhyming word, or by applying any other arbitrary rule may be agreed upon.

Cap, v. i. To uncover the head respectfully. Shak.

Ca`pa*bil"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Capabilities (#). 1. The quality of being capable; capacity; capableness; esp. intellectual power or ability.

A capability to take a thousand views of a subject. H. Taylor.

2. Capacity of being used or improved.

Ca"pa*ble (?), a. [F. capable, LL. capabilis capacious, capable, fr. L. caper to take, contain. See Heave.] 1. Possessing ability, qualification, or susceptibility; having capacity; of sufficient size or strength; as, a room capable of holding a large number; a castle capable of resisting a long assault.

Concious of joy and capable of pain. Prior.

2. Possessing adequate power; qualified; able; fully competent; as, a capable instructor; a capable judge; a mind capable of nice investigations.

More capable to discourse of battles than to give them. Motley.

3. Possessing legal power or capacity; as, a man capable of making a contract, or a will.

4. Capacious; large; comprehensive. [Obs.] Shak.

&fist; Capable is usually followed by of, sometimes by an infinitive.

Syn. -- Able; competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective; skillful.

Ca"pa*ble*ness, n. The quality or state of being capable; capability; adequateness; competency.

Ca*pac"i*fy (k&adot;*păs"&ibreve;*fī), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Capacified (-fīd).] [L. capax, -acis, capacious + -fy.] To quality. [R.]

The benefice he is capacified and designed for. Barrow.

Ca*pa"cious (k&adot;*pā"shŭs), a. [L. capax, -acis, fr. capere to take. See Heave.] 1. Having capacity; able to contain much; large; roomy; spacious; extended; broad; as, a capacious vessel, room, bay, or harbor.

In the capacious recesses of his mind. Bancroft.

2. Able or qualified to make large views of things, as in obtaining knowledge or forming designs; comprehensive; liberal. "A capacious mind." Watts.

Ca*pa"cious*ly, adv. In a capacious manner or degree; comprehensively.

Ca*pa"cious*ness, n. The quality of being capacious, as of a vessel, a reservoir a bay, the mind, etc.

Ca*pac"i*tate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Capacitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Capacitating.] To render capable; to enable; to qualify.

By this instruction we may be capaciated to observe those errors. Dryden.

Ca*pac"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Capacities (-t&ibreve;z). [L. capacitus, fr. capax, capacis; fr. F. capacitÚ. See Capacious.] 1. The power of receiving or containing; extent of room or space; passive power; -- used in reference to physical things.

Had our great palace the capacity To camp this host, we all would sup together. Shak.

The capacity of the exhausted cylinder. Boyle.

2. The power of receiving and holding ideas, knowledge, etc.; the comprehensiveness of the mind; the receptive faculty; capability of understanding or feeling.

Capacity is now properly limited to these [the mere passive operations of the mind]; its primary signification, which is literally room for, as well as its employment, favors this; although it can not be denied that there are examples of its usage in an active sense. Sir W. Hamilton.