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chapter

/ˈt͡ʃæptɚ/
nounverb

CHAPTER means a main division of a book; it scores 14 points in Scrabble and has two anagrams, PATCHER and REPATCH.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 4 meanings

  1. One of the main sections into which a published work is divided, especially a book.

    “Detective novel writers try to keep up the suspense until the last chapter.”

  2. Certain ecclesiastical bodies (under canon law)

  3. A section of a social body.

  4. A meeting of a chapter of certain organized societies or orders.

Verb 4 meanings

  1. To divide into chapters.

  2. To put into a chapter.

  3. To use administrative procedure to remove someone.

  4. To take to task.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English chapitre, from Old French chapitre, from Latin capitulum (“a chapter of a book, in Medieval Latin also a synod or council”), diminutive of caput (“a head”); see capital, capitulum, and chapiter, which are doublets of chapter.

Similar and opposite words

Similar
capitule

In everyday use, a chapter is one of the main sections of a published work, especially a book. The word has seven letters, beginning with C and ending with R. Its familiar book sense is not the only one here: CHAPTER also has a narrower ecclesiastical meaning connected with bodies governed by canon law.

CHAPTER at a glance

  • CHAPTER has seven letters and scores 14 points in Scrabble.
  • PATCHER and REPATCH are its two anagrams.
  • CHARTER, CHATTER, CHANTER and CHASTER are one-letter neighbours.
  • Its rhymes include AFTER, BETTER, WATER and LETTER.
  • Its last letter is R, not the usual S: 34 percent of seven-letter words end in S.

What does CHAPTER mean?

A chapter is a main division of a published work, especially a book. Authors use chapters to break a longer work into sections, giving readers a natural place to pause or resume. The word is common English, ranking 2,190th by frequency, with a count of 9,056 in the word-frequency data.

The word also names certain ecclesiastical bodies under canon law. That sense is much narrower than the book meaning: in an ordinary reading clue, CHAPTER points to a section of a written work, not a church body.

How does CHAPTER score and what can you make from it?

CHAPTER scores 14 points before any board-square bonuses. The C is worth 3 and the H is worth 4; A, T, E and R each add 1, while P adds 3. The H carries the largest single-tile value, so it supplies 4 of the word’s points.

PATCHER and REPATCH use the same seven letters in different orders, so each keeps all seven tiles. For a one-letter change, compare CHAPTER with CHARTER, CHATTER, CHANTER or CHASTER. The ending also gives a clear sound pattern: its 12 rhymes include AFTER, BETTER, WATER, LATER and MATTER.

Rhymes with chapter

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One letter away

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Questions people ask

What does chapter mean?
A chapter is one of the main sections into which a published work, especially a book, is divided. CHAPTER also has an ecclesiastical meaning for certain bodies under canon law, though the book sense is the familiar everyday use.
How many points is CHAPTER worth in Scrabble?
CHAPTER is worth 14 points before board bonuses. Its H is the most valuable tile at 4 points, while C and P are each worth 3; A, T, E and R contribute 1 point apiece.
What are the anagrams of CHAPTER?
PATCHER and REPATCH are the two anagrams of CHAPTER. Each rearranges the same seven letters, so neither adds or removes a tile; the pair is useful when a word puzzle asks for an exact letter rearrangement.

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