n. 1. A poll tax. 2. A payment or fee of a fixed amount per person, such as one remitted at regular intervals to a medical provider by a managed care organization for an enrolled patient. [Late Latin capitātiō, capitātiōn-, from Latin caput, capit-, head; see kaput- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] capi·tate′ v. capi·ta′tive adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.