What does "cape" mean?
A piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into a sea or lake; a promontory; a headland.
Cape
/keɪp/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into a sea or lake; a promontory; a headland.
- Grammar: cape is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: mantle, academic gown, actium, afghan.
- Useful contrasts: bay, coat, inlet.
- Usage evidence: Cape Dezhnev is 30 miles south of the Arctic Circle.
How to use "cape"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cape" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cape" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cape" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cape" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cape" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mantle" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cape", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into a sea or lake; a promontory; a headland.
- 2 A sleeveless garment or part of a garment, hanging from the neck over the back, arms, and shoulders.
"Mind you, clothes were clothes in those days. […] Frills, ruffles, flounces, lace, complicated seams and gores: not only did they sweep the ground and have to be held up in one hand elegantly as you walked along, but they had little capes or coats or feather boas."
- 3 Acronym of convective available potential energy. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, uncountable
- 4 a sleeveless garment like a cloak but shorter wordnet
- 5 A superhero. slang
"Rows and rows of booths and pavilions stretch across the floor, draped with glowing holograms and shifting signs beckoning capes to try their wares. Bystander insurance. Hypertech components. Mystical ingredients. Training DVDs ..."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Acronym of cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings ratio. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, uncountable
- 7 a strip of land projecting into a body of water wordnet
Verb
- 1 To incite or attract (a bull) to charge a certain direction, by waving a cape.
"“I became a novillero when I was fourteen, but I had already been going to the fields and caping bulls since I was about twelve.""
- 2 To head or point; to keep a course.
"The ship capes southwest by south."
- 3 To skin an animal, particularly a deer.
- 4 To defend or praise, especially that which is unworthy. US, slang
"A lot of African-Americans believe the answer is Clinton, mostly because "she's not Trump" and because President Barack Obama is shamelessly caping for her."
- 5 To cover (as) with or like a cape. transitive
"The white fur that caped his neck and shoulders stood on end."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable
- 2 Ellipsis of Cape of Good Hope. Africa, Southern, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 3 Ellipsis of Cape Province: a former province of South Africa, split into three in 1994. South-Africa, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"This is my maat Marius; he just moved to Joburg from the Cape."
- 4 Ellipsis of Cape Cod. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 5 Ellipsis of Cape Colony. Africa, Southern, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, historical
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Ellipsis of Cape Canaveral: a peninsula in Florida, United States, where the major U.S. spaceflight complex is located. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Example
"Cape Dezhnev is 30 miles south of the Arctic Circle."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cape"?
Common synonyms include: mantle, academic gown, actium, afghan, beak, bill.
How do you use "cape" in a sentence?
Cape Dezhnev is 30 miles south of the Arctic Circle.
How do you pronounce "cape"?
Pronounced /keɪp/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English cape, gappe, cap, from Old French cap (“cape, headland”), from Latin caput (“head”). Doublet of capo, caput, chef, and chief, and distantly with head and Howth. For sense development, compare English ness (“a promontory point, cape”) from a root related to nose, Bulgarian нос (nos) (the same PIE root). Also compare coast (<< Latin costa).
Etymology 2
From French cape, from Old Occitan capa, from Late Latin cappa (“cape”). The second sense ("superhero") is metonymic from the fact that many superheroes wear capes. Likewise, the verb sense "defend, praise" alludes to the stereotypical depiction of superheroes wearing capes when they come to people's defense. (Compare caped crusader.) Doublet of capa and cappa.
Etymology 3
English surname, from the noun cape. Also found in French as Capé.