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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  

[keyp] / 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  

[keyp] / 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

Derived Forms

• caped
  adjective

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”

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

AST’s launch scheduled for this month became critically important for the company after Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during testing in Cape Canaveral.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

Canada, Cape Verde, Mexico and Panama will wear different strips in all of their matches.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Four teams — Cape Verde, Curacao, Uzbekistan and Jordan — are making their World Cup debuts, and it’s unlikely any would have qualified under the old format.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

Another low-tech solution used successfully in nearby Cape Town is to position spotters, akin to lifeguards, to look out for sharks.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

At sixteen he joined the merchant marine, and his first voyage took him around Cape Horn in the winter: it was his first experience of the Southern Ocean.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong