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cape

noun, verb — 8 senses

cape

noun

/keɪp/

Etymology From Middle English cape, gappe, cap, from Old French cap (“cape, headland”), from Latin caput (“head”). Doublet of capo, caput, chef, and chief, and distantly with head and Howth. For sense development, compare English ness (“a promontory point, cape”) from a root related to nose, Bulgarian нос (nos) (the same PIE root). Also compare coast (<< Latin costa).

1

Geography, Natural sciences A piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into a sea or lake; a promontory; a headland.

Derived terms
39 termsCape Ann, Cape Breton, Cape Bridgewater, Cape Clear Island, Cape Coast, Cape Cod, Cape Comorin, Cape D'Aguilar, Cape Elizabeth, Cape Filchner, Cape Flattery, Cape fox, Cape Girardeau, Cape Hatteras, Cape ivy, Cape Kennedy, Cape May, Cape Neddick, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Otway, Cape Penck, Cape Peninsula, Cape Point, cape-pondweed, Cape Porpoise, Cape Prince of Wales, Cape Ray, Cape Schanck, cape seahorse, Capesize, capesized, Cape Tribulation, Cape Verde, Cape Winelands, Cape Wrath, Cape York, Green Cape, North Cape, Starostin Cape

cape

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.

1

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."2013, Odie Hawkins, The Black Matador, "Sugar", AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 140:
2

Nautical, Transport To head or point; to keep a course.

  • The ship capes southwest by south.
3

To skin an animal, particularly a deer.

4

US, Slang, With "for" 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.2016, Ken Makin, “Clinton-Trump debacle underscores gross misunderstanding of politics”, in Urban Pro Weekly, 6 October - 12 October 2016, page 5:
  • Many times, you see white supremacist groups caping for women to mask their agenda of white nationalism.2017, Laila Nur, quoted in Jordan Green, "Far-right groups converge behind anti-sharia message in Raleigh", Triad City Beat, 14 June - 20 June 2017, page 9
2 more examples
  • "I can't believe I'm out here caping for a politician."2017, Mindy Isser [organizer], quoted by Aubrey Whelan [journalist] in "For Philly's socialists, election wins signal momentum", The Philadelphia Inquirer, 15 November 2017
  • […] Biden is the old man who once caped for systematic racism; […]2019 April 3, Julian Lutz, “Elizabeth Warren has authenticity”, in The Hawk, Saint Joseph's University, page 8:
5

To cover (as) with or like a cape.

  • The white fur that caped his neck and shoulders stood on end.1988, Susan Lowell, Ganado Red: A Novella and Stories, Milkweed Editions, →ISBN, page 86:
  • He shook her gently, combing his fingers through her coppery curls that caped her shoulders like filigree.1991, Terri Valentine, Outlaw’s Kiss, Zebra Books, →ISBN, page 329:
2 more examples
  • He caped the children and draped them in long wraps, wigs, and swords, and then they all went off down the hall, around the house, and into the yard, Jack singing in his high little voice, “Let’s go off adventuring, adventuring, adventuring!”1995, Jim Schutze, By Two and Two: The Scandalous Story of Twin Sisters Accused of a Shocking Crime of Passion, New York, N.Y.: William Morrow and Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 62:
  • Out of the corner of his eye, he saw blatant relief sketched on her face as the jacket caped her body.2014, Kate Meader, Hot and Bothered, Forever, Grand Central Publishing, →ISBN:

cape

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.

1

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.1977, Agatha Christie, chapter 4, in An Autobiography, part II, London: Collins, →ISBN:
2

Slang 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 ...2017, April Daniels, Dreadnought: Nemesis - Book One, Diversion Books, →ISBN:
Derived terms
Batcape, batcape, capekino, capeless, capelet, capelike, capeshit, capewise, flag cape, Inverness cape, minicape, raincape, uncape
Related terms
cloak

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.