The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Corporal \Cor"po*ral\ (k[^o]r"p[-o]*ral), n. [Corrupted fr. F.
   caporal, It. caporale, fr. capo head, chief, L. caput. See
   Chief, and cf. Caporal.] (Mil.)
   A noncommissioned officer, next below a sergeant. In the
   United States army he is the lowest noncommissioned officer
   in a company of infantry. He places and relieves sentinels.
   [1913 Webster]

   Corporal's guard, a detachment such as would be in charge
      of a corporal for guard duty, etc.; hence, derisively, a
      very small number of persons.

   Lance corporal, an assistant corporal on private's pay.
      --Farrow.

   Ship's corporal (Naut.), a petty officer who assists the
      master at arms in his various duties.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Corporal \Cor"po*ral\, a. [L. corporalis, fr. corpus body. See
   Corpse.]
   1. Belonging or relating to the body; bodily. "Past corporal
      toil." --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            Pillories and other corporal infections. --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   Corporal punishment (law), punishment applied to the body
      of the offender, including the death penalty, whipping,
      and imprisonment.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Having a body or substance; not spiritual; material. In
      this sense now usually written corporeal. --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

            A corporal heaven . . . .where the stare are.
                                                  --Latimer.
      [1913 Webster]

            What seemed corporal melted
            As breath into the wind.              --Shak.

   Syn: Corporal, Bodily, Corporeal.

   Usage: Bodily is opposed to mental; as, bodily affections.
          Corporeal refers to the whole physical structure or
          nature, of the body; as, corporeal substance or frame.
          Corporal, as now used, refers more to punishment or
          some infliction; as, corporal punishment. To speak of
          corporeal punishment is an error. Bodily austerities;
          the corporeal mold.
          [1913 Webster] Corporal

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Corporal \Cor"po*ral\ (k[^o]r"p[-o]*ral), Corporale
\Cor`po*ra"le\ (-r?"l?), n. [LL. corporale: cf. F. corporal. See
   Corporal,a.]
   A fine linen cloth, on which the sacred elements are
   consecrated in the eucharist, or with which they are covered;
   a communion cloth.
   [1913 Webster]

   Corporal oath, a solemn oath; -- so called from the fact
      that it was the ancient usage for the party taking it to
      touch the corporal, or cloth that covered the consecrated
      elements.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

corporal
    adj 1: affecting or characteristic of the body as opposed to the
           mind or spirit; "bodily needs"; "a corporal defect";
           "corporeal suffering"; "a somatic symptom or somatic
           illness" [syn: bodily, corporal, corporeal,
           somatic]
    2: possessing or existing in bodily form; "what seemed corporal
       melted as breath into the wind"- Shakespeare; "an incarnate
       spirit"; "`corporate' is an archaic term" [syn: bodied,
       corporal, corporate, embodied, incarnate]
    n 1: a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or
         Marines

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

61 Moby Thesaurus words for "corporal":
   NCO, acting corporal, acting sergeant, altar cloth, baldacchino,
   baldachin, baptismal font, bodily, carnal, centurion, cerecloth,
   chancel screen, chief warrant officer, chrismal, color sergeant,
   corporeal, earthly, fanon, first sergeant, fleshly, havildar,
   hylic, jube, kneeling stool, lance corporal, lance sergeant,
   master sergeant, material, materiate, mess sergeant, naik, noncom,
   noncommissioned officer, nonspiritual, oblation cloth, paten,
   physical, piscina, platoon sergeant, prayer rug, prie-dieu,
   reredos, rood cloth, rood screen, sacrament cloth, sarge, secular,
   sergeant, sergeant first class, sergeant major, somatic,
   staff sergeant, stoup, substantial, technical sergeant, temporal,
   top sergeant, topkick, unspiritual, warrant officer, worldly



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

CORPORAL. An epithet for anything belonging to the body, as, corporal
punishment, for punishment inflicted on the person of the criminal; corporal
oath, which is an oath by the party who takes it being obliged to lay his
hand on the Bible.



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

CORPORAL, in the army. A non-commissioned officer in a battalion of
infantry.



The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):

CORPORAL, n.  A man who occupies the lowest rung of the military
ladder.

    Fiercely the battle raged and, sad to tell,
    Our corporal heroically fell!
    Fame from her height looked down upon the brawl
    And said:  "He hadn't very far to fall."
                                                         Giacomo Smith