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
-
had drapedperfect
-
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:
Yeah, you gotta get the drape and the flow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
Kim has reasons to drape himself in so much glory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 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
When he tries to drape me in his mother’s jewels, I refuse them.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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
In the guest room, the couple paired the wallpaper with the drapes and the upholstered furniture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026
Snowy white chaises with chartreuse pillows, jade bedcurtains and saffron drapes, fuchsia walls and garnet tapestries.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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
Hernanz wore a Spanish flag draped across his shoulders as the friends made plans to spend the day in Madrid waiting for the team's return.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
He kept a towel draped over his right hand for almost the entire game to cover the black brace covering his wrist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Long before kick-off, thousands of Norway supporters had gathered outside the stadium, many draped in Viking helmets, waving giant red flags and singing songs that have become familiar throughout this World Cup.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
When she was out, she lifted the end of the ladder with a pole and draped it over a convenient branch.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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
According to the justice department, Bustamente Leiva often hid his pickpocketing by draping a coat over his arm.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
Then, beyond Chas’s shoulder, at the edge of the dance floor, I caught a glimpse of green surgical scrubs and soft black hair draping over the glint of a stethoscope.
From "Winger" by Andrew Smith
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.
