cor·po·ral¹ / ˈkôrp(ə)rəl/ • n. a low-ranking noncommissioned officer in the armed forces, in particular (in the U.S. Army) an NCO ranking above private first class and below sergeant or (in the U.S. Marine Corps) an NCO ranking above lance corporal and below sergeant.cor·po·ral² • adj. of or relating to the human body.DERIVATIVES: cor·po·ral·ly adv.cor·po·ral³ • n. a cloth on which the chalice and paten are placed during the celebration of the Eucharist.

corporal 3 non-commissioned officer below a sergeant. XVI. — F. †corporal, var. of caporal — It. caporale, of which there appears to have been a Venetian form †corporale, f. corpus, corpor- body (of troops), the standard form being assim. to capo head. cf. prec.

corporal 2 bodily; †corporeal, material. XIV. — OF. (mod. corporel) — L. corporālis, f. corpus body; see -AL 1.
So corporality XIV. — late L.

corporal 1 linen cloth on which the host and chalice are placed at the Eucharist. XIV. — (O)F. corporal or medL. corporāle, sb. use of corporālis CORPORAL 2.