To cease to resist an opponent or demand; to surrender, often after negotiation of terms.
From Latin 'capitulare' meaning 'to draw up under headings,' from 'capitulum' (little head/chapter). Originally referred to drawing up terms of surrender in organized chapters or sections, then came to mean surrender itself.
Think 'cap-it-u-late' — like putting a cap on resistance and saying 'you late, I give up!' It originally meant organizing surrender terms into neat little chapters (capitula), which shows how even defeat can be bureaucratic.
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