Chapter Capstone to Caracal of C by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Syn. — Caviling, carping, fault-finding; censorious; hypercritical; peevish, fretful; perverse; troublesome. — Captious, caviling, Carping. A captious person is one who has a fault-finding habit or manner, or is disposed to catch at faults, errors, etc., with quarrelsome intent; a caviling person is disposed to raise objections on frivolous grounds; carping implies that one is given to ill-natured, persistent, or unreasonable fault- finding, or picking up of the words or actions of others.

Caviling is the carping of argument, carping the caviling of ill temper.
C. J. Smith.

Captiously
(Cap"tious*ly), adv. In a captious manner.

Captiousness
(Cap"tious*ness), n. Captious disposition or manner.

Captivate
(Cap"ti*vate) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Captivated; p. pr. & vb. n. Captivating.] [L. captivatus, p. p. of captivare to capture, fr. captivus captive. See Captive.]

1. To take prisoner; to capture; to subdue. [Obs.]

Their woes whom fortune captivates.
Shak.

2. To acquire ascendancy over by reason of some art or attraction; to fascinate; to charm; as, Cleopatra captivated Antony; the orator captivated all hearts.

Small landscapes of captivating loveliness.
W. Irving.

Syn. — To enslave; subdue; overpower; charm; enchant; bewitch; facinate; capture; lead captive.

Captivate
(Cap"ti*vate) p. a. [L. captivatus.] Taken prisoner; made captive; insnared; charmed.

Women have been captivate ere now.
Shak.

Captivating
(Cap"ti*va`ting) a. Having power to captivate or charm; fascinating; as, captivating smiles. — Cap"ti*va`ting*ly, adv.

Captivation
(Cap"ti*va`tion) n. [L. capticatio.] The act of captivating. [R.]

The captivation of our understanding.
Bp. Hall.

Captive
(Cap"tive) n. [L. captivus, fr. capere to take: cf. F. captif. See Caitiff.]

1. A prisoner taken by force or stratagem, esp., by an enemy, in war; one kept in bondage or in the power of another.

Then, when I am thy captive, talk of chains.
Milton.

2. One charmed or subdued by beaty, excellence, or affection; one who is captivated.

Captive
(Cap"tive), a.

1. Made prisoner, especially in war; held in bondage or in confinement.

A poor, miserable, captive thrall.
Milton.

2. Subdued by love; charmed; captivated.

Even in so short a space, my wonan's heart
Grossly grew captive to his honey words.
Shak.

3. Of or pertaining to bondage or confinement; serving to confine; as, captive chains; captive hours.