What is "cap of maintenance"

Maintenance \Main"te*nance\, n. [OF. maintenance. See Maintain.]

1. The act of maintaining; sustenance; support; defense; vindication.

   Whatsoever is granted to the church for God's honor and the maintenance of his service, is granted to God.
   --South.

2. That which maintains or supports; means of sustenance; supply of necessaries and conveniences.

   Those of better fortune not making learning their maintenance.
   --Swift.

3. (Crim. Law) An officious or unlawful intermeddling in a cause depending between others, by assisting either party with money or means to carry it on. See Champerty.
   --Wharton.

4. Those actions required for the care of machinery, a building, etc., to keep it clean and in proper functioning condition, and to prevent or forestall damage due to normal use.

5. Payments, such as child support or alimony, to a dependent child not living with one or to a divorced wife.

   Cap of maintenance. See under Cap.

Cap \Cap\ (k[a^]p), n. [OE. cappe, AS. c[ae]ppe, cap, cape, hood, fr. LL, cappa, capa; perhaps of Iberian origin, as Isidorus of Seville mentions it first: ``Capa, quia quasi totum capiat hominem; it. capitis ornamentum.'' See 3d Cape, and cf. 1st Cope.]

1. A covering for the head; esp.

   1. One usually with a visor but without a brim, for men and boys;

   2. One of lace, muslin, etc., for women, or infants;

   3. One used as the mark or ensign of some rank, office, or dignity, as that of a cardinal.

2. The top, or uppermost part; the chief.

   Thou art the cap of all the fools alive.
   --Shak.

3. A respectful uncovering of the head.

   He that will give a cap and make a leg in thanks.
   --Fuller.

4. (Zo["o]l.) The whole top of the head of a bird from the base of the bill to the nape of the neck.

5. Anything resembling a cap in form, position, or use; as:

   1. (Arch.) The uppermost of any assemblage of parts; as, the cap of column, door, etc.; a capital, coping, cornice, lintel, or plate.

   2. Something covering the top or end of a thing for protection or ornament.

   3. (Naut.) A collar of iron or wood used in joining spars, as the mast and the topmast, the bowsprit and the jib boom; also, a covering of tarred canvas at the end of a rope.

   4. A percussion cap. See under Percussion.

   5. (Mech.) The removable cover of a journal box.

   6. (Geom.) A portion of a spherical or other convex surface.

6. A large size of writing paper; as, flat cap; foolscap; legal cap. Cap of a cannon, a piece of lead laid over the vent to keep the priming dry; -- now called an apron. Cap in hand, obsequiously; submissively. Cap of liberty. See Liberty cap, under Liberty. Cap of maintenance, a cap of state carried before the kings of England at the coronation. It is also carried before the mayors of some cities. Cap money, money collected in a cap for the huntsman at the death of the fox. Cap paper.

   1. A kind of writing paper including flat cap, foolscap, and legal cap.

   2. A coarse wrapping paper used for making caps to hold commodities.

      Cap rock (Mining), The layer of rock next overlying ore, generally of barren vein material.

      Flat cap, cap See Foolscap.

      Forage cap, the cloth undress head covering of an officer of soldier.

      Legal cap, a kind of folio writing paper, made for the use of lawyers, in long narrow sheets which have the fold at the top or ``narrow edge.''

      To set one's cap, to make a fool of one. (Obs.)
      --Chaucer.

      To set one's cap for, to try to win the favor of a man with a view to marriage. [Colloq.]

A cap of maintenance, known in heraldic language as a chapeau gules (French: "red hat"), is a ceremonial cap of crimson velvet lined with ermine, which is worn or carried by certain persons as a sign of nobility or special honour. It is worn with the high part to the fore, the tapering tail behind. It may substitute for the torse in the heraldic achievement of a person of special honour granted the privilege by the monarch. It thus appears in such cases on top of the helm and below the crest. It does not, however, feature in the present royal arms of England, which show the royal crest upon the royal crown, itself upon the royal helmet.