Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Chapter"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Chapter
The several books of the Old and New Testaments were from an
early time divided into chapters. The Pentateuch was divided by
the ancient Hebrews into 54 _parshioth_ or sections, one of
which was read in the synagogue every Sabbath day (Acts. 13:15).
These sections were afterwards divided into 669 _sidrim_ or
orders of unequal length. The Prophets were divided in somewhat
the same manner into _haphtaroth_ or passages.
In the early Latin and Greek versions of the Bible, similar
divisions of the several books were made. The New Testament
books were also divided into portions of various lengths under
different names, such as titles and heads or chapters.
In modern times this ancient example was imitated, and many
attempts of the kind were made before the existing division into
chapters was fixed. The Latin Bible published by Cardinal Hugo
of St. Cher in A.D. 1240 is generally regarded as the first
Bible that was divided into our present chapters, although it
appears that some of the chapters were fixed as early as A.D.
1059. This division into chapters came gradually to be adopted
in the published editions of the Hebrew, with some few
variations, and of the Greek Scriptures, and hence of other
versions.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Chapter \Chap"ter\, v. t.
1. To divide into chapters, as a book. --Fuller.
2. To correct; to bring to book, i. e., to demand chapter and
verse. [Obs.] --Dryden.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Chapter \Chap"ter\, n. [OF. chapitre, F. chapitre, fr. L.
capitulum, dim. of caput head, the chief person or thing, the
principal division of a writing, chapter. See {Chief}, and
cf, {Chapiter}.]
1. A division of a book or treatise; as, Genesis has fifty
chapters.
2. (Eccl.)
(a) An assembly of monks, or of the prebends and other
clergymen connected with a cathedral, conventual, or
collegiate church, or of a diocese, usually presided
over by the dean.
(b) A community of canons or canonesses.
(c) A bishop's council.
(d) A business meeting of any religious community.
3. An organized branch of some society or fraternity as of
the Freemasons. --Robertson.
4. A meeting of certain organized societies or orders.
5. A chapter house. [R.] --Burrill.
6. A decretal epistle. --Ayliffe.
7. A location or compartment.
In his bosom! In what chapter of his bosom? --Shak.
{Chapter head}, or {Chapter heading}, that which stands at
the head of a chapter, as a title.
{Chapter house}, a house or room where a chapter meets, esp.
a cathedral chapter.
{The chapter of accidents}, chance. --Marryat.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
chapter
n 1: a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and
titled; "he read a chapter every night before falling
asleep"
2: any distinct period in history or in a person's life; "the
industrial revolution opened a new chapter in British
history"; "the divorce was an ugly chapter in their
relationship"
3: a local branch of some fraternity or association; "he joined
the Atlanta chapter"
4: an ecclesiastical assembly of the monks in a monastery or
even of the canons of a church
5: a series of related events forming an episode; "a chapter of
disasters"
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