a. and sb. [ad. med.L. capitulār-is adj., capitulāre sb., f. capitulum in its various senses: see below.]

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  A.  adj.

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  1.  Of or pertaining to an ecclesiastical chapter; governed by a chapter.

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1611.  Cotgr., Capitulaire, capitular; of, or belonging to, a chapter.

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1651.  Life Father Sarpi (1676), 36. That in a capitular action … should be sent forth two Apostolical Briefs.

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1747.  Carte, Hist. Eng., I. 787. Seizing the temporalities of bishops and capitular bodies.

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1861.  Beresf. Hope, Eng. Cathedr. 19th C., 182. Some of the old cathedrals had been served by chapters of canons, others by monks—all were hereafter to be capitular.

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  2.  Phys. Of or pertaining to a terminal protuberance of bone. Cf. CAPITULUM 2.

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1873.  Mivart, Elem. Anat., 28. The first of these articular sources is termed ‘capitular.’ Ibid. (1881), Cat, 37. One kind, attached to the centrum, are called capitular.

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  3.  Bot. Growing in small heads, as the Dandelion does.

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1846.  Worcester cites Loudon; and in mod. Dicts.

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  B.  sb. [various elliptical uses of the adj.]

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  1.  A member of an ecclesiastical chapter.

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1726.  Ayliffe, Parergon, 201. The Chapter may … make Decrees and Statutes which shall bind the Chapter itself and all its Members or Capitulars.

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1761.  Sterne, Tr. Shandy (1802), II. 20. The dean of Strasburg,… the capitulars and domiciliars (capitularly assembled …) … all wished [etc.].

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  2.  = CAPITULARY B 2.

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1660.  Jer. Taylor, Duct. Dubit., IV. i. 472 (R.). The Capitular of Charles the Great joynes dicing and drunkennesse together, as being usual companions.

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1751.  Chambers, Cycl., s.v., In these capitulars did the whole French jurisprudence antiently consist.

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1809–10.  Coleridge, Friend (1818), I. 142. Nothing gives us a better notion of the … French monarchy, than the third capitular of the year 811.

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  3.  ? A law or statute of a chapter, or of an ecclesiastical council; a canon; also fig.

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a. 1667.  Jer. Taylor, Serm. (1678), 90. Our Blessed Saviour made those capitulars and canons of Religion.

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1721–1800.  Bailey, Capitulars, ordinances or injunctions of kings or bishops, about Ecclesiastical Affairs.

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1751.  Chambers, Cycl., Capitular or capitulary, denotes an act passed in a chapter, either of knights, canons, or religious.

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  4.  ? A heading or title of a chapter.

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1846–7.  Maskell, Mon. Rit., I. p. liv. Here must be mentioned a Capitular which not unfrequently is to be met with in MSS. of the New Testament in English … ‘Here begynnythe a rule, that tellith in whiche chapitris of the bible … ye mown fynd the epistlis and the gospels.’

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