case2
noun 1 a container or protective covering. 2 Brit. a suitcase. 3 a box containing twelve bottles of wine or other drink, sold as a unit. 4 each of the two forms, capital or minuscule, in which a letter of the alphabet may be written or printed. verb 1 enclose within a case. 2 informal reconnoitre (a place) before carrying out a robbery. ORIGIN Old French casse, from Latin capsa box, receptacle; sense 4 derives from a container for holding type in printing; two cases were set on a stand, the higher one for capitals (upper case) and the lower for minuscule (lower case).
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