Forms: 1, 3 capun, 4 capoun, (kapoun, chapon), 4–6 capone, 5 capun(e, (capvne), capoone, 4– capon. [OE. capun, ad. L. capōn-em in same sense, whence also ONF. capun, capon (F. chapon, Pr. and Sp. capon, It. cappone), which prob. reinforced the Eng. word.]
1. A castrated cock.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 132. Capo, capun. Gallinaccus, capun.
c. 1250. Bestiary, 390, in O. E. Misc., 13. Ðe coc and te capun.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl., 260. Bute he also capun beo idiȝt.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. IV. 38. For a dozeine chickenes Or as many capones.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XII. xviii. (1495), 425. The capon is a cocke made as it were female by keruynge away of his gendringe stones.
1481. Caxton, Reynard, 26. He … hadde to fore hym as fatte capone as a man myght fynde.
1598. Barkcley, Felic. Man, I. (1603), 11. Is made fat with daintie and delicate fare like a capon.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., II. vii. 154. The Iustice In faire round belly, with good Capon lin’d.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Wks. (1760), III. 26 (D.). To truck … justice for fat capons to be delivered before dinner.
1847. Barham, Ingol. Leg. (1877), 161. On capons fine they daily dine.
1865. Livingstone, Zambesi, x. 216. Some fine fat capons.
b. formerly used in payment of rent in kind.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., xl. Preamb., xl. acres of wood xlti. rent and the rent of L. capons.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccccxlvii. 789. They gadered vp the rentes, as Capons, and other thynges in his townes.
c. as a type of dullness, and a term of reproach.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 307 b. [He] came flynging home to Roome again as wyse as a capon.
1551. T. Wilson, Logike, 11. Some [men] are capones by kinde, and so blunt by nature, that no arte at all can whet them.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., III. i. 32. Mome,… Capon, Coxcombe, Idiot, Patch.
† 2. transf. A eunuch.
1594. Carew, Huarte’s Exam. Wits (1616), 279. Of a 1000 such capons who addict themselues to their booke, none attaineth to anie perfection, euen in musicke (which is their ordinarie profession).
1605. Tryall Chev., II. i. in Bullen, O. Pl. (1884), III. 289.
1691. D’Urfey, All for Money, 65. If there be a Capon in Christendom, I’ll make thee one.
3. Humorously applied to various fish; esp. a red-herring.
c. 1640. J. Smyth, Hundred of Berkeley (1885), 319. The Sole wee call our Seuverne Capon.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Yarmouth-Capon, a Red Herring.
1719. Ramsay, Hamilton, ii. iii. A Glasgow capon and a fadge Ye thought a feast.
1812. W. Tennant, Anster Fair, iv. Each to his jaws A good Crail’s capon holds [note ‘a dried haddock’].
1847–78. Halliwell, Capon, a red-herring. Kent.
† 4. A billet-doux. Cf. F. poulet ‘a chicken; also, a loue-letter, or loue-message’ (Cotg.). Obs.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., IV. i. 56. O thy letter, thy letter … Boyet, you can carue, Breake vp this Capon.
5. Comb., as capon-broth, -flesh; capon-crammed, -like, -lined adjs.; capon-beer, ? capon-broth made with beer; capon-bell, the passing-bell (Halliwell cites Dekker); † capon-cote, a house for keeping capons; capon-justice, a corrupt magistrate who is bribed by gifts of capons; capon-money, money in commutation of a payment of capons; † capon’s-feather, the feather of a capon; also, Common Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris); † capon’s-tail, a plant, Valeriana pyrenaica; capon’s-tail grass, Festuca Myurus (Britten and Holland).
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 411. Drink incorporate with Flesh or roots (as in *Capon-beer &c.) will nourish more easily.
1691. T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., 78. If the Alderman thought that an impossibility, he was certainly far gone in *Capon-broth.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. VII. 136. Hue hadde a childe in the *chapon-cote.
1597. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., III. ii. 1214. His mawe must be *Capon crambd each day.
a. 1662. Heylin, Hist. Ref. (1849), I. 212 (D.). Salcot of Salisbury [otherwise called Capon] … redeems his peace … by making long leases of the best of his farms and manors; known afterwards most commonly by the name of *Capon’s feathers.
1847–78. Halliwell, Capon’s-feather, the herb columbine.
c. 1425. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 662. Caro spadonia, *capuneflesche. Caro caponina, caponflesche.
a. 1639. Ward, Serm. (1862), 128 (D.). Judges that judge for reward, and say with shame, ‘Bring you,’ such as the country calls *capon justices.
1856. R. Vaughan, Mystics (1860), I. 150. A portly, *capon-lined burgomaster.
1714. Lond. Gaz., No. 5246/3. In Arrear to the Corporation of Portsmouth, for Town-Rents, Reliefs, *Capon-Money or other Dues.
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes, F ij b. Phu is called in englishe setwal, of other some *Capones tayle.
1598. Florio, Amantilla, the herbe Valerian, Capons taile or Setwall.
1597. Gerard, Herbal, I. xxii. 29. My friend … gave it the title … *Capons-taile Gracce.
