• Of or pertaining to the head. • Having reference to, or involving, the forfeiture of the head or life; affecting life; punishable with death; as, capital trials; capital punishment. • First in importance; chief; principal. • Chief, in a political sense, as being the seat of the general government of a state or nation; as, Washington and Paris are capital cities. • Of first rate quality; excellent; as, a capital speech or song. • The head or uppermost member of a column, pilaster, etc. It consists generally of three parts, abacus, bell (or vase), and necking. See these terms, and Column. • The seat of government; the chief city or town in a country; a metropolis. • Money, property, or stock employed in trade, manufactures, etc.; the sum invested or lent, as distinguished from the income or interest. See Capital stock, under Capital, a. • That portion of the produce of industry, which may be directly employed either to support human beings or to assist in production. • Anything which can be used to increase one's power or influence. • An imaginary line dividing a bastion, ravelin, or other work, into two equal parts. • A chapter, or section, of a book. • See Capital letter, under Capital, a.