caprice

caprice
\ \ [17] Etymologically, caprice means ‘hedgehog-head’. It comes, via French caprice, from an Italian noun capriccio, formed from capohead’ (from Latin caput) and ricciohedgehog’ (from Latin ericeus, source of English urchin). Originally this meant ‘horror, shuddering’, the reference being to the hair of a terror-stricken person standing on end. The word’s present-day meaning ‘whim, fickleness’ seems to be partly due to association with Italian capragoat’, from the animal’s frisky behaviour.
\ \ Cf.URCHIN

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • caprice — [ kapris ] n. m. • 1558; it. capriccio; rad. capra « chèvre » 1 ♦ Détermination arbitraire, envie subite et passagère, fondée sur la fantaisie et l humeur. ⇒ désir, envie; accès, boutade, coup (de tête), fantaisie, foucade, lubie, tocade.… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Caprice — may refer to: Beverage *Caprice (wine), a pink coloured wine blend. Entertainment * Caprice (film), a 1967 film starring Richard Harris and Doris Day. *Caprice (play), by Charles Ludlam Music *Caprice (band), a Moscow based darkwave/neo folk band …   Wikipedia

  • Caprice — Жанры неоклассика Годы 1996 н. в. Страна …   Википедия

  • caprice — CAPRICE. subst. masc. Fantaisie, boutade. Il se gouverne plus par caprice que par raison. Avoir des caprices. Etre sujet aux caprices d autrui. Dépendre des caprices d autrui. Suivre son caprice. [b]f♛/b] Il signifie quelquefois, Saillie d esprit …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • caprice — caprice, freak, fancy, whim, whimsy, conceit, vagary, crotchet are comparable when denoting an arbitrary notion that usually lacks a logical basis and therefore may be unsound, impractical, or even irrational. Caprice emphasizes the lack of… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • caprice — CAPRICE. s. m. Fantaisie, boutade. Il se gouverne plus par caprice que par raison. avoir des caprices. estre sujet aux caprices d autruy. dependre des caprices d autruy. Il signifie quelquefois, Saillie d esprit & d imagination, & alors il se… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Caprice — Ca*price (k[.a]*pr[=e]s ), n. [F. caprice, It. capriccio, caprice (perh. orig. a fantastical goat leap), fr. L. caper, capra, goat. Cf {Capriole}, {Cab}, {Caper}, v. i.] 1. An abrupt change in feeling, opinion, or action, proceeding from some… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Caprice — bezeichnet einen weiblichen Vornamen aus dem französischen Wortschatz eine Kaprice, Laune ein Musikstück mit freiem, spielerischem und scherzhaftem Charakter, auch Capriccio genannt das nordamerikanische Model Caprice Bourret ein Automodell von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • caprice — [kə prēs′] n. [Fr < It capriccio, a shivering, whim < capo (< L caput, HEAD) + riccio, curl, frizzled, lit., hedgehog (< L ericius: see URCHIN); hence, orig., head with bristling hair, horripilation; meaning infl. by assoc. with It… …   English World dictionary

  • caprice — (n.) 1660s, from Fr. caprice whim (16c.), from It. capriccio whim, originally a shivering, possibly from capro goat, with reference to frisking; but another theory connects the It. word with capo head + riccio curl, frizzled, lit. hedgehog (from… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Caprice — (fr., spr. Kapris), 1) Laune, Eigensinn; 2) so v.w. Capriccio. Daher Capriciös, launenhaft; sich Capriciren, eigensinnig auf etwas bestehen …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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