Capitate

/ˈkæpɪtət/ adj, noun, verb

adj, noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: The capitate bone of the wrist.
  • Grammar: capitate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: capitate bone, os capitatum.
  • Usage evidence: 1913 Henry Gray: Anatomy Descriptive and Applied The capitate bone is the largest of the carpal bones, and occupies the centre of the wrist. It presents, above, a rounded portion or head, which is received into the concavity formed by the navicular and lunate; a constricted portion or neck; and below this, the body. The superior surface is round, smooth, and articulates with the lunate.

How to use "capitate"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "capitate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "capitate" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "capitate" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "capitate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "capitate" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "capitate bone" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "capitate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The capitate bone of the wrist.
  2. 2
    the wrist bone with a rounded head shape that articulates with the 3rd metacarpus wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To pay health-care providers using a capitation system. US
Adjective
  1. 1
    Having a distinct globular tip. not-comparable

    "1913 Henry Gray: Anatomy Descriptive and Applied The capitate bone is the largest of the carpal bones, and occupies the centre of the wrist. It presents, above, a rounded portion or head, which is received into the concavity formed by the navicular and lunate; a constricted portion or neck; and below this, the body. The superior surface is round, smooth, and articulates with the lunate."

  2. 2
    Topped with a dense, head-like cluster, such as the inflorescences of composites or the antennae of some insects. not-comparable

    "1884 A. de Bary Comparative Anatomy of the Vegetative Organs of the Phanerogams and Ferns. Oxford University Press Capitate hairs occur on most leaf-forming plants, especially Dicotyledons and Ferns, as a rule in company with non-glandular hairs. It is true they are absent from many large groups... To this category belong in the first place the great majority of the universally distributed glandular hairs ... Meanwhile we need only remark here, that the glandular hairs are characterised by no special form, but rather by definite properties of the cell walls; therefore the terms capitate and glandular hair are not equivalent. In the case of many capitate hairs, it is as yet uncertain whether they possess the characteristic properties of glandular hairs..."

Adjective
  1. 1
    being abruptly enlarged and globose at the tip wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
capitate boneos capitatum

Example

"1913 Henry Gray: Anatomy Descriptive and Applied The capitate bone is the largest of the carpal bones, and occupies the centre of the wrist. It presents, above, a rounded portion or head, which is received into the concavity formed by the navicular and lunate; a constricted portion or neck; and below this, the body. The superior surface is round, smooth, and articulates with the lunate."

Common questions

What does "capitate" mean?

The capitate bone of the wrist.

What is a synonym for "capitate"?

Common synonyms include: capitate bone, os capitatum.

How do you use "capitate" in a sentence?

1913 Henry Gray: Anatomy Descriptive and Applied The capitate bone is the largest of the carpal bones, and occupies the centre of the wrist. It presents, above, a rounded portion or head, which is received into the concavity formed by the navicular and lunate; a constricted portion or neck; and below this, the body. The superior surface is round, smooth, and articulates with the lunate.

How do you pronounce "capitate"?

Pronounced /ˈkæpɪtət/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Latin capitātus (“having a head”), from caput (“head”) + -ātus, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix). The noun comes from the clipping of capitate bone.

Etymology 2

Back-formation from capitation.

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