1860, "act of converting (assets) to capital," noun of action from capitalize in the financial sense. The meaning "act of writing or printing in capital letters" is recorded from 1847, from the writing sense.

c. 1600, "to be in effect, perform or be at work, exert force or influence," a back-formation from operation (q.v.), or else from Latin operatus, past participle of operari "to work, labor, toil, take pains" (in Late Latin "to have effect, be active, cause"). The surgical sense of "perform some manual act upon the body of a patient," usually with instruments, is attested from 1799. Meaning "to work machinery" is from 1864 in American English. Related: Operated; operating. Operating system in the computer sense is from 1961.

North Korean capital, from Korean p'yong "flat" + yang "land."

Nepalese capital, from Nepalese Kathmandu, from kath "wooden" + mandu "temple."

1704, of a letter, "capital;" 1738 as a noun, "a capital letter," from French majuscule (16c.), from Latin maiuscula (littera), fem. of maiusculus "somewhat larger, somewhat greater," diminutive of maior (see major (adj.)).

Lebanese capital, from Hebrew, literally "the wells," from be'erot, plural of be'er "well."

Cambodian capital, literally "mountain of plenty," from Cambodian phnom "mountain, hill" + penh "full."

Moroccan capital, from Arabic ar-ribat, from ribat "fortified monastery."

city in north-central France, Roman Senones, the capital of the Gaulish people of the same name.

"of or pertaining to capital or capitalists," 1870; see capitalist + -ic.