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• cape
  cape

  noun

  a sleeveless garment of various lengths, fastened around the neck and falling loosely from the shoulders, worn separately or attached to a coat or other outer garment.
• Cape
  Cape

  noun

  the SW region of South Africa, in Western Cape province

cape

¹ American  

[kayp] / keɪp /

noun

1. a sleeveless garment of various lengths, fastened around the neck and falling loosely from the shoulders, worn separately or attached to a coat or other outer garment.

2. the capa of a bullfighter.

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verb (used with object)

caped, caping

1. (of a matador or capeador during a bullfight) to induce and guide the charge of (a bull) by flourishing a capa.

cape ² American  

[kayp] / keɪp /

noun

1. a piece of land jutting into the sea or some other large body of water.

   Synonyms:

   spit, headland, promontory, point

2. the Cape.

   1. Northeastern U.S. Cape Cod.

   2. Cape of Good Hope.

3. capeskin.

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verb (used without object)

caped, caping

1. Nautical. (of a ship) to have good steering qualities.

adjective

1. Cape, pertaining to the Cape of Good Hope or to South Africa.

   a Cape diamond.

cape ¹ British  

/ keɪp /

noun

1. a headland or promontory

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Cape ² British  

/ keɪp /

noun

1. the SW region of South Africa, in Western Cape province

2. See Cape of Good Hope

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cape ³ British  

/ keɪp /

noun

1. a sleeveless garment like a cloak but usually shorter

2. a strip of material attached to a coat or other garment so as to fall freely, usually from the shoulders

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cape Scientific  

/ kāp /

1. A point or head of land projecting into a body of water.

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Other Word Forms

• caped
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of cape¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from French cap(p)e, from Spanish capa or Italian cappa, from Late Latin cappa “hooded cloak”; see also cope ²

Origin of cape²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cap, from Middle French, from Old Provençal cap or Italian capo, from Vulgar Latin capum (unrecorded) for Latin caput “head”

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Explanation

Superman is easily recognizable by his red cape, a sleeveless garment that hangs from his shoulders and rustles in the wind when he flies. The word cape comes from the Latin cappa meaning "covering for the head." Capes aren't just worn by superheroes. A poncho is a type of cape that you wear in the rain to stay dry. Speaking of water, a cape is also a stretch of land that extends into a body of water — like Cape Cod, which extends into the Atlantic Ocean.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cape Cape caped caping

Shipping lines reroute around the cape, war-risk premiums climb, and the costs show up in the price of nearly everything that reaches the U.S. by sea.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

This week, the leader of our second-most-popular political party could be unseated in an election by a man who wears a floor-length cape and a bin over his head.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026

But Count Binface, who dresses with a grey dustbin over his head wearing a cape and silver armour, could snatch a fifth of the votes, according to a Survation poll.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

Then there’s the cashmere embroidered rabbit cape by Gucci, which she purchased secondhand.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

‘I hope,’ she yawned, ‘it’s not too far to the Forest. What happened to your cape?’

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Two Emirati cargo ships, the GFS Pride and the Cape Dao, have sunk in the past 24 hours after being struck in the Strait of Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

The findings come from a study conducted by researchers at the University of Cologne, the University of Oxford, the University of Liège, and Cape Breton University in Canada.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

A local captain told me he had seen a CrossWave at Frying Pan Shoals Tower, 30 nautical miles off Cape Fear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

On Friday, Australia will begin their first Test series in South Africa since the ball-tampering scandal erupted in Cape Town in 2018.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Did we somehow find a shortcut to Ghana in Cape Fear?

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

That belief is patently untrue, but more difficult to measure if filmmakers and studios refuse to take a real chance on their caped crusadettes.

From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026

Presiding over the baddies, Jared Leto’s blue-skinned, caped, literally boneheaded man-demon Skeletor is meant to be the fiercest of antagonists, but even his own henchmen find his signature evil cackle to be a bit laughable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

Mobile phone footage of the incident was shared on social media, with people praising the "barbershop Batman", "haircut hero", and "caped crusader".

From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2024

The elegance of an open tuxedo baring flesh, and the simplicity of flowing silk caped dresses made a statement, but there was a sense of familiarity.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 1, 2023

His caped cassock was black, with purple buttons and a purple cincture.

From Dawn of All by Robert Hugh Benson

The pilgrimage, caping Salonen’s “Rituals,” involves dancer and choreographer Dimitri Chamblas, producer Kate Nordstrom and composer Tim Hecker.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026

"Superpower" has everything a doubting public could want in the way of reassurance, with its determined hero caping for an embattled nation and who happens to be a huge fan of its president.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2023

In others, however, the writers ply exhausted tropes conflating inclusive storytelling with white savior caping.

From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2023

All this somehow makes its history-inspired fabrication feel genuine and universal, caping the philosophy that ideals that make the common man super.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2022

This caping technique, which should be done before field dressing to avoid bloodying the hair and making invasive cuts that will be difficult for the taxidermist to conceal, leaves enough hide for a shoulder mount.

From Time Magazine Archive

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