noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A smooth-coated tablet (pill, as in medicine) shaped like a capsule, used as a tamper-resistant alternative to a capsule, or an easy-to-swallow alternative to regular tablets.
2. 2
   A component of an interest rate cap, a derivative instrument that effectively prevents the interest payments on an otherwise variable-rate loan from exceeding an agreed level (the "cap"). Each "caplet", analysable as a call option, covers one interest accrual period (such as three months); the whole interest rate cap is made up of a series of consecutive caplets.

Etymology

Etymology 1

Blend of capsule + tablet.

Etymology 2

From cap (“upper limit or ceiling”) + -let (diminutive suffix). Piecewise doublet of capelet.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.