corporal
UK /ˈkɔːp(ə)ɹəl/ · US /ˈkoɹ.pɚ.əl/ adjective, noun
Forms corporals
- adjective (archaic) Having a physical, tangible body; material, corporeal.
- adjective Of or pertaining to the body, especially the human body; bodily. “corporal punishment”
- adjective (zoology) Pertaining to the body (the thorax and abdomen), as distinguished from the head, limbs and wings, etc.
- noun (military) A non-commissioned officer army rank with NATO code OR-4. The rank below a sergeant but above a lance corporal and private.
- noun A non-commissioned officer rank in the police force, below a sergeant but above a private or patrolman.
- noun (mining, historical) A worker in charge of the wagonway, reporting to the deputy.
- noun A dragonfly of the genus Ladona.
- noun (ecclesiastical) The white linen cloth on which the elements of the Eucharist are placed; a communion cloth.
Synonyms
bodily corporeal bombardier corporas somatic bodied corporate embodied incarnate
Etymology
From Middle English corporal, corporall, corporel, corporell, from Old French corporal (French corporel), from Latin corporālis, from Latin corpus (“body”); compare corporeal.
From French caporal, probably influenced by corporal (above), from the Italian caporale, from capo (“head, leader”) from Latin caput (“head”).
From Middle English corporall, corporalle, from the Latin corporāle, the neuter of corporālis representing the doctrine of transubstantiation in which the Eucharist becomes the body of Christ.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A noncommissioned officer, next below a sergeant. In the United States army he is the lowest noncomissioned officer in a company of infantry. He places and relieves sentinels. Corporal's guard, a detachment such as would be in charge of a corporal for guard duty, etc.; hence, derisively, a very small number of persons.
- adjective Belonging or relating to the body; bodily. "Past corporal toil." Shak.
- adjective Having a body or substance; not spiritual; material. In this sense now usually written corporeal. Milton.
- noun A fine linen cloth, on which the sacred elements are consecrated in the eucharist, or with which they are covered; a communion cloth. Corporal oath, a solemn oath; --so called from the fact that it was the ancient usage for the party taking it to touch the corporal, or cloth that covered the consecrated elements.
Etymology [Corrupted fr. F. caporal, It. caporale, fr. capo head, chief, L. caput. See Chief, and cf. Caporal.]
Etymology [L. corporalis, fr. corpus body. See Corpse.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “corporal”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details