cap·sule (k?p?s?l, -so?ol)n.1. A small soluble container, usually made of gelatin, that encloses a dose of an oral medicine or a vitamin.2. Anatomy A fibrous, membranous, or fatty sheath that encloses an organ or part, such as the sac surrounding the kidney or the fibrous tissues that surround a joint.3. Microbiology A polysaccharide outer shell enveloping certain bacteria.4. Botany a. A dry dehiscent fruit that develops from two or more united carpels.b. The thin-walled, spore-containing structure of mosses and related plants.5. A space capsule.6. A brief summary; a condensation.adj.1. Highly condensed; very brief: a capsule description.2. Very small; compact.tr.v. cap·suled, cap·sul·ing, cap·sules 1. To enclose in or furnish with a capsule.2. To condense or summarize: capsuled the news.[French, from Latin capsula, diminutive of capsa, box.]cap?su·lar (-s?-l?r, -syo?o-) adj.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.capsule (?kæpsju?l) n1. (Pharmacology) a soluble case of gelatine enclosing a dose of medicine2. (Brewing) a thin metal cap, seal, or cover, such as the foil covering the cork of a wine bottle3. (Botany) botany a. a dry fruit that liberates its seeds by splitting, as in the violet, or through pores, as in the poppyb. the spore-producing organ of mosses and liverworts4. (Microbiology) bacteriol a gelatinous layer of polysaccharide or protein surrounding the cell wall of some bacteria: thought to be responsible for the virulence in pathogens5. (Anatomy) anatomy a. a cartilaginous, fibrous, or membranous envelope surrounding any of certain organs or partsb. a broad band of white fibres (internal capsule) near the thalamus in each cerebral hemisphere6. (Astronautics) See space capsule7. (Aeronautics) an aeroplane cockpit that can be ejected in a flight emergency, complete with crew, instruments, etc8. (modifier) in a highly concise form: a capsule summary. 9. (Clothing & Fashion) (modifier) (in the fashion industry) consisting of a few important representative items: a capsule collection. [C17: from French, from Latin capsula, diminutive of capsa box]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014cap?sule (?kæp s?l, -sul, -syul) n., v. -suled, -sul?ing, adj. n. 1. a gelatinous case enclosing a dose of medicine. 2. a. a membranous sac or integument of the body. b. either of two strata of white matter in the cerebrum. c. the sporangium of various spore-producing organisms, as ferns, mosses, algae, and fungi. 3. a dry dehiscent fruit, composed of two or more carpels. 4. a small case, envelope, or covering. 5. Also called space capsule. a sealed cabin, container, or vehicle in which a person or animal can ride in flight in space or at very high altitudes within the earth’s atmosphere. 6. a similar cabin in a military aircraft, which can be ejected in an emergency. 7. a concise report; brief outline. v.t. 8. to furnish with or enclose in or as if in a capsule; encapsulate. 9. to capsulize. adj. 10. small and compact. 11. short and concise; briefly summarized: a capsule report. [1645?55; (