chapiteau

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French chapitel, from Late Latin capitellum (likely a semi-learned borrowing), from Latin capitulum, ultimately from caput (“head”), whence also French chef. Doublet of cadeau and cadet, borrowings from Occitan, and caudillo, a borrowing from Spanish.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃa.pi.to/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

chapiteau m (plural chapiteaux)

1. a circus tent, or any similar set-up used for spectacles or events
2. (architecture) the capital of a column, baluster or similar structure
3. (aeronautics) the conical part at the front end of a rocket
4. (chemistry) the top part of an alembic, where condensation occurs

Descendants

• → Czech: šapitó

Further reading

• “chapiteau”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.