/dɹeɪp/
OriginFrom Middle English drape (“a drape”, noun), from Old French draper (“to drape; to full cloth”), from drap (“cloth, drabcloth”), from Late Latin drappus, drapus (“drabcloth, kerchief”), a word first recorded in the Capitularies of Charlemagne, probably from Frankish *drapi, *drāpi (“that which is fulled, drabcloth”, literally “that which is struck or for striking”), from Proto-Germanic *drapiz (“a strike, hit, blow”) and Proto-Germanic *drēpiz (“intended for striking, to be beaten”), both from *drepaną (“to beat, strike”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreb- (“to beat, crush, make or become thick”). Cognate with English drub (“to beat”), North Frisian dreep (“a blow”), Low German drapen, dräpen (“to strike”), German treffen (“to meet”), Swedish dräpa (“to slay”). More at drub.
- A curtain; a drapery.
- The way in which fabric falls or hangs.
- USA member of a youth subculture distinguished by its sharp dress, especially peg-leg pants (1950s: e.g. Baltimore, MD). Antonym: square.
- A dress made from an entire piece of cloth, without having pieces cut away as in a fitted garment.
- transitiveTo cover or adorn with drapery or folds of cloth, or as with drapery.
“to drape a bust, a building, etc.”
“The whole people were still draped professionally.”
“These starry blossoms, pure and white, / Soft falling, falling, through the night, / Have draped the woods and mere.”
- transitiveTo spread over, cover.
“I draped my towel over the radiator to dry.”
“I cycled the three miles each morning between hedges draped with spangled cobwebs and berried bryony.”
- To rail at; to banter.
“1672-679, William Temple, Memoirs
At my Arrival , the King asked me many questions about my Journey, about the Congress, draping us for spending him so money”
- To make cloth.
- To design drapery, arrange its folds, etc., as for hangings, costumes, statues, etc.
- To hang or rest limply.
“I draped myself elegantly over the couch.”
Formsdrapes(plural) · drapes(present, singular, third-person) · draping(participle, present) · draped(participle, past) · draped(past)