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**Capita**
**can·vas** /'kænvəs/ *n* **1** [U] strong rough cloth used for tents, sails, bags etc: *a canvas bag* | *We spent the night under canvas.* (=in a tent) **2** [C] (a piece of this used for) an oil painting: *The artist showed me her canvases.* (=completed paintings)
**can·vass¹** /'kænvəs/ *v* **1** [I;T(for)] **a)** to try to find out opinions, win political support, or get orders for goods, by going from place to place in (an area) and talking to (people): *The party claims to have canvassed over 70% of the votes.* | *An army of salespeople canvassed the country to promote the new product.* | *I'm canvassing (for the Republicans) tonight.* **b)** to try to find out (opinions) or win (support or orders) in this way: *I've been canvassing the views of our members about the proposed changes.* **2** [T] to examine or talk about in detail: *This suggestion is being widely canvassed as a possible solution to the dispute.* —**-er** *n*
**canvass²** *n* the act of canvassing: *a door-to-door/house-to-house canvass*
**can·yon** /'kænjən/ *n* a deep narrow steep-sided valley usually with a river flowing through $\rightarrow$ see VALLEY (USAGE) $\rightarrow$ see colour photo on page A43
**can·yon·ing** /'kænjənɪŋ/ *also* **can·yon·eer·ing** /ˌkænjə'nɪərɪŋ/ *AmE* —*n* [U] a sport in which you walk and swim along a fast-moving river at the bottom of a canyon
**cap¹** /kæp/ *n* **1** a soft flat covering for the head that has a curved part sticking out at the front (a PEAK or VISOR) and is worn especially as part of a uniform: *an officer's cap* **2** a head-covering which is a sign of your position, profession, membership of a team or club etc: *a nurse's cap* | *a cricketer's cap* **3** any of several kinds of tight-fitting head-covering: *a swimming cap* | *a shower cap* $\rightarrow$ see also STOCKING CAP **4** (sometimes in *comb.*) a protective covering for the end or top of an object: *Put the cap back on the bottle.* | *(fig.) a cap of snow on the hilltop* $\rightarrow$ see also ICE CAP **5** an upper limit, for example on an amount of money that can be spent or borrowed; CEILING **6** also **Dutch cap**, **diaphragm** — a round usually rubber object fitted inside a woman's VAGINA to allow her to have sex without having children $\rightarrow$ see also CONTRACEPTIVE **7** a small paper container holding enough explosive to cause a very small explosion, usually used in toy guns **8 cap and gown** *AmE* the customary clothes worn for GRADUATION from a HIGH SCHOOL or university, consisting of a long black GOWN and a cap with a flat square top **9** a head-covering given to a player chosen for a special team, especially a national one, in cricket, football, RUGBY etc: *Next week Shilton gets his 100th cap for England.* **10 cap in hand** in a respectful and HUMBLE way: *to go cap in hand to the government for money* **11 set one's cap at** *old-fash infml* (of a woman) to try to attract (a man) especially with the intention of marriage $\rightarrow$ see also **a feather in someone's cap** (FEATHER¹), **put on one's thinking cap** (THINKING¹)
**cap²** *v* **-pp-** [T] **1** to cover the top of: *cloud-capped mountains* | *cap an oil well* **2** to improve on (what someone has said or done): *He capped my story with an even funnier one.* | *Cap that if you can!* | *His car was stolen, his wife left him, and to cap it all* (=in addition to everything else) *he lost his job!* **3** also **charge-cap** (of central government in Britain) to punish (a LOCAL AUTHORITY) by giving them less money than they expected because they have spent more than a certain amount **4** to choose for a team: *He's been capped for England at cricket.*
**cap.**, **caps.** written *abbrev.* for a capital letter
**CAP, the** /ˌsi: eɪ 'pi:/ *abbrev.* for the Common Agricultural Policy; a system of laws arranged by the EUROPEAN UNION to control the production of food and other farm crops. It set limits on how much farmers can grow, and provided them with financial support. The CAP has often been criticized as a wasteful use of European Union money, and some people think it has given a lot of money to rich farmers who do not need it.
**ca·pa·bil·i·ty** /ˌkeɪpə'bɪləti/ *n* [C;U(for, as)] the fact or quality of being capable, or a way in which someone or something is capable: *No one doubts her capability for the job.* | *The engineer explained the plane's technical capabilities.* | *A computer with a good graphics capability*
**ca·pa·ble** /'keɪpəbəl/ *adj* **1** [F+of] able; having the power, skill, or other qualities needed (to do something): *The company was not capable of handling such a large order.* | *She's capable of murder when she loses her temper!* **2** skilful and effective, especially in practical matters: *a very capable doctor/manager/driver* **3** [F+of] able (to be); SUSCEPTIBLE: *That remark is capable of being (=could be) misunderstood.* | *The new design is capable of improvement.* $\rightarrow$ opposite INCAPABLE —**-bly** *adv*
**ca·pa·cious** /kə'peɪʃəs/ *adj fml* able to hold or contain a lot: *a capacious bottle/suitcase* —**-ly** *adv* —**-ness** *n* [U]
**ca·pa·ci·tor** /kə'pæsɪtə/ *n* an apparatus that collects and stores electricity, as in a television set
**ca·pa·ci·ty** /kə'pæsəti/ *n* **1** [S;U] **a)** the amount that something can hold or contain: *The fuel tank has a capacity of 12 gallons.* | *The seating capacity of this theatre is 500.* | *The hall was filled to capacity.* (=completely full) | *The game was watched by a capacity crowd.* **b)** the amount that something, especially a factory, can produce: *This factory has a productive capacity of 200 cars a week.* | *working at full capacity* | *There is a lot of surplus/excess capacity in the steel industry.* (=more can be produced than is actually needed) **2** [C;U(for)] ability or power: *He has a great capacity for enjoying himself.* | [+to-v] *Her capacity to remember facts is remarkable.* | *Watching the interview, one could see that he had not lost his capacity for evasion.* **3** [C] a particular position or duty; ROLE: *I'm speaking in my capacity as minister of trade.* | *She is employed by them in an advisory capacity.*
**cape¹** /keɪp/ *n* a loose outer garment (or part of a garment) without SLEEVES fastened at the neck and hanging from the shoulders: *a bicycle cape will protect you in wet weather.* | *a coat with a cape collar* $\rightarrow$ compare CLOAK
**cape²** *n* (often cap. as part of a name) a piece of land standing out into the sea: *the Cape of Good Hope* | *Cape Cod*
**Cape Ca·nav·er·al** /ˌkeɪp kə'nævərəl/ a CAPE² in Florida which is famous for the KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, where US spacecraft are sent into space. Cape Canaveral was formerly called Cape Kennedy.
**Cape Cod** a CAPE² in southern Massachusetts in the US which is a popular place for tourists and is where people can get on boats to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
**Cape Hat·te·ras** /ˌkeɪp 'hætərəs/ a CAPE² in North Carolina in the US, which is a popular place for tourists. It is also well known as a place where there are bad storms that have destroyed many ships.
**Cape Horn** the extreme end of South America, known for its very bad weather and dangerous ocean currents
**Cape Kennedy** a former name of CAPE CANAVERAL
**Cape of Good Hope, the** a PENINSULA (=a piece of land surrounded on three sides by water) at the southwestern end of South Africa, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean
**Cape Province** a PROVINCE in the south of South Africa. Its full name is Cape of Good Hope Province and it was formerly called Cape Colony.
**ca·per¹** /'keɪpə/ *v* [I(ABOUT)] *especially lit* to jump about in a happy playful manner: *The lambs were capering (about) in the fields.*
**caper²** *n* **1** *especially lit* a playful jumping movement: *children dancing and cutting capers* (=jumping about) **2** *slang* an activity, especially a dishonest or illegal one
**caper³** *n* a small dark-green flower BUD used for giving a special sourish taste to food
**Cape Town** a large city in South Africa near the Cape of Good Hope. It is built around TABLE MOUNTAIN, and South Africa's parliament building is there.
**Cape Verde** /ˌkeɪp 'vɜ:dl, -'vɜ:rd/ a country that consists of a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal. Population: 417,000 (2002). Capital: Praia.
**ca·pil·la·ry** /kə'pɪləri/ *AmE* /'kæpəlɛri/ *n* a very fine hairlike tube, such as one of the smaller blood tubes in the body
**capillary attraction** //ˌ..... ..'/ *n* [U] *tech* the force which causes a liquid to rise up a narrow tube, for example water rising from the roots of a tree to the branches
**Cap·i·ta** /'kæpɪtə/ *trademark* a British company that uses computers to provide ADMINISTRATIVE services to private businesses and public organizations. In 2002 it started to run operations at the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), carrying