Capes

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /keɪps/

Definitions

  1. A long, flowing garment that drapes over the shoulders and back; a geographical feature characterized by a prominent point of land extending into a sea or ocean; a type of superhero accessory symbolizing power and heroism ensured by its dramatic flair
  2. A piece of clothing worn around the neck and hanging down the back, often tied or fastened; a landform that projects into a body of water, creating a distinctive land outline; an item associated with comic book characters, often representing their courage and identity
  3. A loose outer garment without sleeves that covers the shoulders; an area of land that protrudes into a body of water, often becoming known for its scenic beauty; a decorative element in superhero fiction that represents bravery and valor

Etymology: The plural "capes" is simply the plural of "cape," so the real story lies in the singular. The English word has two separate strands. The garment sense came from French "cape," which passed through Old Occitan "capa" from Late Latin "cappa," a word for a hooded cloak. The headland sense is older in English and arrived by another route: Middle English borrowed it from Old French "cap," meaning cape or headland, which traces back to Latin "caput," meaning "head." A promontory is, in a sense, the head of the land pushing into the water. These two words are doublets, meaning they share a common origin but reached English through different paths. The same Latin root produced "capo" and "chief," and it is distantly related to "head." The headland meaning also has a neat parallel in "ness," an older English word for a promontory that is tied to "nose," so both English and Latin describe a sharp point of land by reference to a body part. The superhero sense is a metonymy. Superheroes are so often drawn wearing capes that the garment came to stand for the heroic role itself, and the verb "to cape," meaning to defend or praise, grew from the same image of a hero rushing to someone's rescue.

Synonyms: cloaks, mantles