CHAPERONNE, or CHAPEROON, properly signifies a sort of hood or covering for the head, anciently worn both by men and women, the nobles and the populace, and afterwards appropriated to the doctors and licentiates in colleges, &c. Hence the name passed to certain little shields, and other funeral devices, placed on the foreheads of the horses that drew the hearses in pompous funerals, and which are still called chaperoons or shafferoons; because such devices were originally fastened on the chaperonnes, or hoods, worn by those horses with their other coverings of state.

CHAPERON of a bit-mouth, in the manege, is only used for scratch-mouths, and all others that are not cannon-mouths, signifying the end of the bit that joins to the branch just by the banquet. In scratch-mouths the chaperon is round, but in others it is oval: and the same part that in scratch and other mouths is called chaperon, is in cannon-mouths called fronceau.

CHAPTERS, in Architecture, the same with CAPITALS.

CHAPTERS, in Law, formerly signified a summary of such matters as were inquired of, or presented before justices in eyre, justices of assize, or of the peace, in their sessions.

Chapters, at this time, denotes such articles as are delivered by the mouth of the justice in his charge to the inquest.