drape
Americanverb (used with object)
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drapes,
present (3rd person singular)
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draped,
past participle, past
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draping
present participle
-
to cover or hang with cloth or other fabric, especially in graceful folds; adorn with drapery.
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to adjust (curtains, clothes, etc.) into graceful folds, attractive lines, etc.
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to arrange, hang, or let fall carelessly.
Don't drape your feet over the chair!
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Medicine/Medical, Surgery. to place cloth so as to surround (a part to be examined, treated, or operated upon).
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(in reinforced-concrete construction) to hang (reinforcement) in a certain form between two points before pouring the concrete.
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to put a black cravat on (a flagstaff ) as a token of mourning.
verb (used without object)
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drapes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
draped,
past participle, past
-
draping
present participle
noun
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drapes
plural
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a curtain or hanging of heavy fabric and usually considerable length, especially either of a pair for covering a window and drawn open and shut horizontally.
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either of a pair of similar curtains extending or draped at the sides of a window, French doors, or the like as decoration.
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manner or style of hanging.
the drape of a skirt.
verb
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(tr) to hang or cover with flexible material or fabric, usually in folds; adorn
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to hang or arrange or be hung or arranged, esp in folds
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(tr) to place casually and loosely; hang
she draped her arm over the back of the chair
noun
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(often plural) a cloth or hanging that covers something in folds; drapery
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the way in which fabric hangs
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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drapesimple
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drapessimple
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have drapedperfect
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has drapedperfect
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am drapingprogressive
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are drapingprogressive
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is drapingprogressive
-
have been drapingperfect progressive
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has been drapingperfect progressive
Past
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drapedsimple
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had drapedperfect
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was drapingprogressive
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were drapingprogressive
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had been drapingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of drape
1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French draper, derivative of drap cloth ( see drab 1)
Explanation
The drape of fabric or material is the way it looks — the shape it takes — when it's hanging. If you're sewing a dress, you need to use fabric with the right sort of drape. You can describe the drape of a piece of velvet or cotton — and you can also use drape to mean "curtain." You could even say, "I just love the drape of those drapes!" When drape is a verb, it means "to cover loosely," as when you drape a quilt over your old sofa to hide its the rips and stains. In the 1940s and 50s, drape was also a slang term for a cool suit of clothes.
Vocabulary lists containing drape
I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79
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I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011
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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.
See Examples For:
But the two that stand out most drape along the right side of his face like a crescent moon: “Victory” and “God Will Rise.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
They spin a variety of amazing webs, from the typical orb web, with its hub-and-spoke pattern, to funnel-like tube webs and sheet webs that can drape over an entire landscape like a shroud.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
And I agree it should be socially acceptable to drape oneself in velvet External link.
From Barron's ● Dec. 31, 2025
Sometimes the agents would stage mannequins in the passenger seats, or drape curtains over the windshield, or put a bag over their heads to avoid being photographed.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2025
We drape the coats over our heads and push the pram through the streets.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
TV cameras have captured trucks unloading drapes, lights, food and even a "40-inch mirror ball".
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Wilson believes that Snow Secure—the high-tech insulated polystyrene blanket that unfolds like an accordion, then drapes over a pile of snow—is just the invention.
From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2026
She has this fantastic wallpaper that she did up the walls, across the ceiling, and turned into drapes.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026
Wearing a Shaquille O’Neal jersey that nearly drapes to his knees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
There are still some buildings boarded up, with the windows busted out and replaced by paintings of would-be windows with curved drapes.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
At the weekend, ahead of her funeral service, the singer's coffin, draped in a Welsh flag, was driven through Swansea's coastal suburb of Mumbles, drawing huge crowds of emotional fans.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
A youngster sprang from the grass, running toward its mother, draped in what looked like a roomy shag carpet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
"What are you talking about - look my hand is covered," he said, pointing to the jumper draped over his arm.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
She cried afterward, as her family draped her in leis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
Gingersnipes leaned back against the cabin’s bottom step and draped a paw over her eyes.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Photographs shared online show some of them taping up windows and draping windproof nets across their homes and shops.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Supporters waved Egyptian flags and Palestinian flags in support of nearby Gaza, as well as a poster of coach Hossam Hossan draping both flags over himself during the tournament.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
The outlet reported that workers have been draping the entire arena in fabric since Monday to transform the space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
In 1967, his black evening gown with cape radiated simplicity in form and draping even as it also referenced the attire of Catholic priests.
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
Mrs. Scatcherd stands at the front of the car, holding on to two leather seat backs, the arms of her black cape draping like the wings of a crow.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
