Forms: 5 chapiture, -ytur(e, 6–8 chapter, (6 chaptre), 7– chapiter, (7 -tre, -tar). [a. F. chapitre:—OF. chapitle: see next. (French no longer uses chapitre in sense 3, but chapiteau:—L. capitellum: see CAPITAL, and also CHAPTER.]
† 1. gen. Earlier spelling of CHAPTER.
† 2. spec. A summary; = CAPITLE 3. Obs.
[1292. Britton, 22. Des chapitres qe liveré lour serrount en escrit.]
1483. Cath. Angl., 58. A chapiture, capitulum.
1607. Cowell, Interpr. (1672), Chapiters, capitula … signifies in our Common Law a Summary, or content of such matters as are to be inquired of, or presented before Justices … in their Sessions. Chapitres or Capitula be now called Articles.
1641. Termes de la Ley, 53.
1670. in Blount, Law Dict.
3. Arch. The capital of a column. (Still an occasional equivalent of CAPITAL.)
c. 1425. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 670/4. (Nomina pertin. domorum) Hoc capitulum, Ao chapytur.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 31. Soom for great palaces doo slise from quarrye the chapters.
1600. Holland, Livy, XLII. xx. 1126. A certaine columne … rent and cloven from the very base to the chapter.
1611. Bible, 1 Kings vii. 16. Hee made two Chapiters of molten brasse, to set vpon the tops of the pillars.
1653. H. Cogan, Diod. Sic., 142. Great Pillars, whereof the chapters are either of gold or silver.
1676. F. Vernon, in Phil. Trans., II. 580. Temples with pillars and chapitres demolish’t.
1744. J. Paterson, Comm. Milton’s P. L., 145. A moulding next above the chapiter or head of a column.
1807. Robinson, Archæol. Græca, I. i. 4–5. The chapiters seem to be a mixture between the Ionic and Doric orders.
1878. Masque of Poets, 28. On bulging chapiters that enthrone Colossal lotus leaves of stone.
