capsule

B1 Topic:Health & Medicine

US /ˈkæps(ə)l/ UK /ˈkæpsjuːl/ See IPA manual

Freq #9178

Meanings

1

noun
A small, smooth case containing medicine that you swallow whole.

The doctor told me to take one capsule twice a day.
2

noun
A small container, especially one designed to hold or protect something.

They buried a time capsule full of photos in the school garden.
3

noun
The part of a spacecraft in which the crew travels.

The astronauts returned to Earth inside the capsule.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 noun · the part of a spacecraft in... space capsule

Word family

Forms capsules

Derived forms biocapsulecapletcapsularcapsulatecapsulationcapsulectomycapsulercapsuliferouscapsuliformcapsuligenouscapsulisecapsulitis

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

time capsule
a container preserving objects or records for people to discover in the future

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Capsule dates from the late Middle English period and was initially a general term for a small container. It derives from Latin capsa, which is related to capere, “to hold.”

Etymology

Borrowed from French capsule, from Latin capsula, diminutive of capsa (“box”).

*kap- Proto-Indo-European capsule French capsula Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Health & Medicine Astronomy & Space

External links

# capsule

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈkæps(ə)l/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkæpsjuːl/
**Frequency rank:** 9178

## Meanings
1. A small, smooth case containing medicine that you swallow whole.
2. A small container, especially one designed to hold or protect something.
3. The part of a spacecraft in which the crew travels.

## Examples
- The doctor told me to take one capsule twice a day.
- They buried a time capsule full of photos in the school garden.
- The astronauts returned to Earth inside the capsule.

## Derived Forms
- biocapsule
- caplet
- capsular
- capsulate
- capsulation
- capsulectomy
- capsuler
- capsuliferous
- capsuliform
- capsuligenous
- capsulise
- capsulitis

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *kap-
- Root: capsule
- Root: capsula

## Etymology
Borrowed from French capsule, from Latin capsula, diminutive of capsa (“box”).

## AI Etymology
Capsule was borrowed from French capsule, from Latin capsula, diminutive of capsa (“box”).

## Topics
- Health & Medicine
- Astronomy & Space

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