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capsule |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.01 sec. |
capsuleIn botany, a dry fruit that opens when ripe. It splits from top to bottom into separate segments known as valves, as in the iris, or forms pores at the top (e.g., poppy), or splits around the circumference, with the top falling off (e.g., pigweed and plantain). The spore-forming organ (see sporophyte) of liverworts and mosses is also called a capsule. capsule 1. a soluble case of gelatine enclosing a dose of medicine 2. a thin metal cap, seal, or cover, such as the foil covering the cork of a wine bottle 3. Botany a. a dry fruit that liberates its seeds by splitting, as in the violet, or through pores, as in the poppy b. the spore-producing organ of mosses and liverworts 4. Anatomy a. a cartilaginous, fibrous, or membranous envelope surrounding any of certain organs or parts b. a broad band of white fibres (internal capsule) near the thalamus in each cerebral hemisphere 5. an aeroplane cockpit that can be ejected in a flight emergency, complete with crew, instruments, etc. capsule [′kap·səl] (aerospace engineering) A small, sealed, pressurized cabin with an internal environment that will support human or animal life during extremely high-altitude flight, space flight, or escape. (engineering) A boxlike component or unit, often sealed. (anatomy) A membranous structure enclosing a body part or organ. (botany) A closed structure bearing seeds or spores; it is dehiscent at maturity. (microbiology) A thick, mucous envelope, composed of polypeptide or carbohydrate, surrounding certain microorganisms. (pharmacology) A soluble shell in which drugs are enclosed for oral administration. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| I teach you the friend in whom the world standeth complete, a capsule of the good,--the creating friend, who hath always a complete world to bestow. So it is with hybrids, for their degree of fertility is often found to differ greatly in the several individuals raised from seed out of the same capsule and exposed to exactly the same conditions. But these animals did not take to flight so rapidly but what the electric capsule could stop their course. |
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