cape
noun
- headland of large size extending into a body of water, usually the sea
- sleeveless outer garment of varying lengths, sometimes attached to a coat
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /keɪp/
name
Etymology: English surname, from the noun cape. Also found in French as Capé.
- Ellipsis of Cape of Good Hope.
- Ellipsis of Cape Province: a former province of South Africa, split into three in 1994.
“This is my maat Marius; he just moved to Joburg from the Cape.”
- Ellipsis of Cape Cod.
- Ellipsis of Cape Colony.
- Ellipsis of Cape Canaveral: a peninsula in Florida, United States, where the major U.S. spaceflight complex is located.
noun
Etymology: From French cape, from Old Occitan capa, from Late Latin cappa (“cape”). The second sense ("superhero") is metonymic from the fact that many superheroes wear capes. Likewise, the verb sense "defend, praise" alludes to the stereotypical depiction of superheroes wearing capes when they come to people's defense. (Compare caped crusader.) Doublet of capa and cappa.
- A sleeveless garment or part of a garment, hanging from the neck over the back, arms, and shoulders.
“Mind you, clothes were clothes in those days. […] Frills, ruffles, flounces, lace, complicated seams and gores: not only did they sweep the ground and have to be held up in one hand elegantly as you walked along, but they had little capes or coats or feather boas.”
- A superhero.
“Rows and rows of booths and pavilions stretch across the floor, draped with glowing holograms and shifting signs beckoning capes to try their wares. Bystander insurance. Hypertech components. Mystical ingredients. Training DVDs ...”
verb
Etymology: From French cape, from Old Occitan capa, from Late Latin cappa (“cape”). The second sense ("superhero") is metonymic from the fact that many superheroes wear capes. Likewise, the verb sense "defend, praise" alludes to the stereotypical depiction of superheroes wearing capes when they come to people's defense. (Compare caped crusader.) Doublet of capa and cappa.
- To incite or attract (a bull) to charge a certain direction, by waving a cape.
““I became a novillero when I was fourteen, but I had already been going to the fields and caping bulls since I was about twelve."”
- To head or point; to keep a course.
“The ship capes southwest by south.”
- To skin an animal, particularly a deer.
- To defend or praise, especially that which is unworthy.
“A lot of African-Americans believe the answer is Clinton, mostly because "she's not Trump" and because President Barack Obama is shamelessly caping for her.”
“Many times, you see white supremacist groups caping for women to mask their agenda of white nationalism.”
- To cover (as) with or like a cape.
“The white fur that caped his neck and shoulders stood on end.”
“He shook her gently, combing his fingers through her coppery curls that caped her shoulders like filigree.”