cape

The word “cape” means a sleeveless outer garment that hangs from the shoulders and covers the back and arms. In plain terms, a sleeveless cloak-like garment, or a point of land sticking out into the sea.

“Cape” is pronounced kayp (/keɪp/ in IPA).

Here is “cape” used in a sentence: “Superman's red cape billowed behind him as he flew.”

“Cape” is a noun.

The word “cape” comes from Latin. From Old French cap ("cape, headland"), from Latin caput ("head") — the geographic sense (a "head" of land) and the clothing sense both share this root.

“Cape” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Cape” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sleeveless outer garment that hangs from the shoulders and covers the back and arms.

A cape is a short, sleeveless garment that hangs from the shoulders and covers the back and arms, while a cloak is longer and fuller, often reaching the ankles and wrapping the whole body. In short, a cape is the shorter of the two.

A cape hangs open from the shoulders and usually fastens at the neck, while a poncho is a single piece of fabric with a hole in the middle for the head, so it drapes over the body without a front opening. Capes are often formal or decorative, whereas ponchos are typically practical weather wear.

In geography, a cape is a relatively small point of land jutting out into the sea, also called a headland, while a peninsula is a larger area of land nearly surrounded by water. A cape is often the tip, whereas a peninsula is the whole projecting landmass.

"Cape" has both meanings: it can be a sleeveless garment worn over the shoulders or a piece of land jutting into the sea. They are unrelated in use, so context, such as "wore a cape" versus "sailed around the cape," makes the meaning clear.