cap-, cip-, capt-, cept-, ceive, -ceipt, -ceit, -cipient

A female member of a royal family other than the queen; especially, the daughter of a sovereign.

1. The head or director of a school or of a college in England: Mr. Straight wa the principal at the elementary school that Virginia attended.
2. A person who takes a leading part in any activity, as a play; a chief actor or performer: Since Mary was the principal in the play at school, she had to take part in all of the rehearsals each afternoon.
3. The first player of a division of instruments in an orchestra (except the concertmaster): The principals of each string section in a chamber orchestra always sits in the first row of players.
4. Something of primary or chief importance: The principal or main reason for going to Toronto was to visit her daughter and sister.

Learn how to distinguish between principal and principle.

1. A territory ruled by a prince or princess.
2. The position or jurisdiction of a prince.
3. Etymology: from Late Latin principalitatem, principalitas, from principalis, "first in importance"; from princeps, "first, chief".

1. An accepted or professed rule of action or conduct: "She was a person of good moral principles."
2. A fundamental, primary, or general law or truth from which others are derived; such as, the principles of physics.
3. A fundamental doctrine or tenet.
4. Principles, a personal or specific basis of conduct or management: "He was known as someone who always stirved to adhere to his principles."
5. Guiding sense of the requirements and obligations of right conduct; a person of principle.
6. A rule or law exemplified in natural phenomena, the construction or operation of a machine, the working of a system, or the like.
7. Etymology: from Latin principium, principia, "a beginning, first part"; from princeps, "first, chief".

Learn how to distinguish between principle and principal.

Conveying honesty and responsibility about what someone does and how he or she treats other people.

1. Referring to that which is available for buying: Mary's parents bought a supply of purchasable goods for the family.
2. Capable of being bribed or corrupted: The politician was accused of being a purchasable agent for a foreign company.

1. The act of having bought something: "James was told that there will be some new computers available for purchase starting tomorrow."

"Leonard and Lenora said they make their big purchases after they discuss them with each other."

2. Something that has been paid for: "Trudy placed her purchases in her car and took them home."

1. To buy something by using money or its equivalent: "Shawn discovered a valuable manuscript at the bookstore that sells old books and documents and purchased it for an insignificant amount of money."

"Jim and Irene were purchasing items to take with them on their camping trip."

2. Etymology: from Middle English purchasen, "to pursue, to chase eagerly"; from Old French purchacier, French chasser; pur-, "forth" + chacier, "to chase"; from Latin captare, "to strive, to seize"; from capere, (and captus), "to catch, to seize, to hold".

Relating to a payment that is acceptable for a debt: Both the bank and John agreed on the payable and receivable amounts of money which were accounted for on a monthly basis.

1. To get, to acquire, or to take into one's possession: "Jane received many birthday gifts."
2. Etymology: from Old North French (the dialect of northern France before the 1500s), receivre, Old French recoivre; from Latin recipere, receptus "to regain, to take back, to recover, to take in"; from re-, "back" + -cipere, a combining form of capere, "to take".

Referring to something that is generally considered to be true or correct.

1. A container that holds, contains, or receives a liquid or solid: Mary placed a receptacle outside her front door for people to put their wet umbrellas in before coming inside for dinner.
2. The end of a flower stalk, bearing the parts of a flower, or the florets of a composite flower: The biology teacher, Mrs. Smart, asked her students, "Did you know that when you eat a strawberry, you are actually eating the large receptacle of the blossom, which isn’t really a fruit at all"?
3. In a plant that reproduces through spores; such as, a liverwort or the part that bears the reproductive organs: The receptacles of the brown algae are at the ends of its branches which are formations enclosing its generative elements.
4. Etymology: directly or via French from Latin receptaculum, "a small place in which to store something received". © ALL rights are reserved.

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