capsule

(kap′səl, -syo̵̅o̅l)

noun

Obsolete a small case or sheath
☆ a small, soluble gelatin container for enclosing a dose of medicine
☆
1. an ejectable airplane cockpit
2. a detachable, closed compartment designed to hold and protect people, instruments, etc. in a rocket
  in full space capsule
Anat.
1. any sac or membrane enclosing an organ or part
2. either of two layers of cerebral white matter
a case or pod, containing seeds, spores, or carpels; esp., a dry dehiscent fruit
Chem. any shallow dish or tray for evaporating liquids

Origin: Fr < L capsula, dim. of capsa, box: see case

adjective

☆ in a concise or condensed form: a capsule biography

transitive verb capsuled, capsuling

to condense

See capsule in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A small soluble container, usually made of gelatin, that encloses a dose of an oral medicine or a vitamin.
Anatomy A fibrous, membranous, or fatty sheath that encloses an organ or part, such as the sac surrounding the kidney or the fibrous tissues that surround a joint.
Microbiology A mucopolysaccharide outer shell enveloping certain bacteria.
Botany
a. A dry dehiscent fruit that develops from two or more united carpels.
b. The thin-walled, spore-containing structure of mosses and related plants.
A space capsule.
A brief summary; a condensation.

adjective