caprice
/kəˈpɹiːs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.86 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An impulsive, seemingly unmotivated action, change of mind, or notion.
noun
A disposition to be impulsive.
noun
name
A female given name.
Example Sentences
- "Though more thoughtful than Madame de Mercœur, yet it asked far more knowledge of society—that wilderness of small intricacies—for her to penetrate into the motives of those who seemed so suddenly struck with her fascination; but she was too clear-headed to be deceived, and set it all down under one general belief in caprice."
- "It would have been a great privilege to be the mistress of an old time-honoured mansion, to call oaks and elms her own, to know that acres of gardens were submitted to her caprices, to look at herds of cows and oxen, and be aware that they lowed on her own pastures."
- "She is said to be the finest swordswoman on the Continent. Yet, notwithstanding her caprices, she is a noble-minded woman."
- "The only difference between a caprice and a life-long passion is that a caprice lasts a little longer."
- "After that we cast off all allegiance to immediate, tangible, and time-touched things, and entered a fantastic world of hushed unreality in which the narrow, ribbon-like road rose and fell and curved with an almost sentient and purposeful caprice amidst the tenantless green peaks and half-deserted valleys"
- "Yet, Britain, vvhence this Caprice of thy Sons, / VVhich thro' their various ranks vvith fury runs? / The cauſe is plain, a cauſe vvhich vve muſt bleſs; / For Caprice is the Daughter of Succeſs, […]"
Etymology
Etymology tree substratebor.? Proto-Indo-European *kap-? Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *káput Proto-Italic *kaput Latin caput Vulgar Latin capus Old Italian capo Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰḗrder. Latin ērīcius Old Italian riccio Old Italian caporiccio Italian capricciobor. French capricebor. English caprice Borrowed from French caprice, from Italian capriccio, from caporiccio (“fright, sudden start”). Doublet of capriccio.
Origin
- Source language: French