Cape Cod

American

noun

a sandy peninsula in SE Massachusetts between Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic Ocean: many resort towns.
a style of cottage developed mainly on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the 18th and early 19th centuries, typically a rectangular one- or one-and-a-half story wooden cottage covered by a gable roof and having a central chimney.

Cape Cod British

noun

a long sandy peninsula in SE Massachusetts, between Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic
Also called: Cape Cod cottage. a one-storey cottage of timber construction with a simple gable roof and a large central chimney: originated on Cape Cod in the 18th century

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cape Cod Cultural

Resort area on the Atlantic Ocean in Massachusetts. Its fishhook shape is easily recognized on a map.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Not Nantucket or Cape Cod, but the summertime refuge for Manhattan’s wealthy.

From Salon • Jun. 18, 2026

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the oldest living member of the Kennedy dynasty, has already secured an offer for her quaint Cape Cod home—just days after listing the property for $1.59 million.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

A popular ice-cream shop on Cape Cod had 50 jobs for hire for this summer.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

In Massachusetts, nearly 300,000 were without power, according to poweroutage.us, including 85% of customers in Barnstable County, which includes all of Cape Cod.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026

The real estate agent informed us that our new house is a simple Cape Cod.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023