*capri*

a. [ L. caper goat. ] (Chem.) Of or pertaining to capric acid or its derivatives. [ 1913 Webster ]

Capric acid (also called decanoic acid), C9H19.CO.OH,
Caprylic acid (also called octanoic acid), C7H15.CO2.H, and
Caproic acid (also called hexanoic acid), C5H11.CO2.H, are fatty acids occurring in small quantities in butter, cocoanut oil, etc., united with glycerin; they are colorless oils, or white crystalline solids, of an unpleasant odor like that of goats or sweat. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ It. See Caprice. ] 1. (Mus.) A piece in a free form, with frequent digressions from the theme; a fantasia; -- often called caprice. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A caprice; a freak; a fancy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. [ It. ] (Mus) In a free, fantastic style. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. caprice, It. capriccio, caprice (perh. orig. a fantastical goat leap), fr. L. caper, capra, goat. Cf Capriole, Cab, Caper, v. i. ] 1. An abrupt change in feeling, opinion, or action, proceeding from some whim or fancy; a freak; a notion. “Caprices of appetite.” W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mus.) See Capriccio.

Syn. -- Freak; whim; crotchet; fancy; vagary; humor; whimsey; fickleness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. capricieux, It. capriccioso. ] Governed or characterized by caprice; apt to change suddenly; freakish; whimsical; changeable. “Capricious poet.” Shak. “Capricious humor.” Hugh Miller. [ 1913 Webster ]

A capricious partiality to the Romish practices. Hallam.

Syn. -- Freakish; whimsical; fanciful; fickle; crotchety; fitful; wayward; changeable; unsteady; uncertain; inconstant; arbitrary.

-- Ca*pri"cious*ly, adv. -- Ca*pri"cious*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. capricornus; caper goat + cornu horn: cf. F. capricorne. ] 1. (Astron.) The tenth sign of zodiac, into which the sun enters at the winter solstice, about December 21. See Tropic. [ 1913 Webster ]

The sun was entered into Capricorn. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Astron.) A southern constellation, represented on ancient monuments by the figure of a goat, or a figure with its fore part like a fish. [ 1913 Webster ]

Capricorn beetle (Zool.), any beetle of the family Carambucidæ; one of the long-horned beetles. The larvæ usually bore into the wood or bark of trees and shrubs and are often destructive. See Girdler, Pruner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. caper, capra, goat. ] (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the tribe of ruminants of which the goat, or genus Capra, is the type. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. caprificatio, fr. caprificare to ripen figs by caprification, fr. caprificus the wild fig; caper goat + ficus fig. ] The practice of hanging, upon the cultivated fig tree, branches of the wild fig infested with minute hymenopterous insects. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ It is supposed that the little insects insure fertilization by carrying the pollen from the male flowers near the opening of the fig down to the female flowers, and also accelerate ripening the fruit by puncturing it. The practice has existed since ancient times, but its benefit has been disputed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. caper goat + folium leaf. ] The woodbine or honeysuckle. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the Honeysuckle family of plants (Caprifoliacæ. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. caper goat + -form. ] Having the form of a goat. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. caprigenus; caper goat + gegnere to produce. ] Of the goat kind. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. capris goat + mulgere to milk. ] a widely distributed natural family of nocturnally active birds including the whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferus), the chuck-will's-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis), and the common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor); -- called popularly the goatsuckers or nightjars. The nighthawks are sometimes active during the day.
Syn. -- goatsuckers, nightjars, family Caprimulgidae. [ PJC ]

The family . . . is alternately known as the nightjars (derived from the "churring" sounds of several species -- "jarring" the night air), or goatsuckers, a nonsense name that should be discontinued as it has its origin in the preposterous myth that the birds sucked the milk of nanny goats until they were dry. Terence Michael Short (Wild Birds of the Americas)

n. an order of birds including the goatsuckers (Caprimulgidae), frogmouths, and the oilbird (guacharo) (family Steatornithidae).
Syn. -- order Caprimulgiformes. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. the type genus of the Caprimulgidae, including the whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferus) and the chuck-will's-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis).
Syn. -- genus Caprimulgus. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. [ L. caprinus. ] Of or pertaining to a goat; as, caprine gambols. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. capriole, cabriole, It. capriola, fr. L. caper goat. Cf. Caper, v. i. Cabriole, Caprice, Cheveril. ] 1. (Man.) A leap that a horse makes with all fours, upwards only, without advancing, but with a kick or jerk of the hind legs when at the height of the leap. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A leap or caper, as in dancing. “With lofty turns and caprioles.” Sir J. Davies. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To perform a capriole. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]