drape

1 of 2

verb

ˈdrāp 

draped; draping

transitive verb

1

: to cover or adorn with or as if with folds of cloth

2

: to cause to hang or stretch out loosely or carelessly

3

: to arrange in flowing lines or folds

intransitive verb

: to become arranged in folds

this silk drapes beautifully

drapability noun

or less commonly drapeability

ˌdrā-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

drapable adjective

or less commonly drapeable

ˈdrā-pə-bəl 

drape

2 of 2

noun

1

: arrangement in or of folds

2

a

: a drapery especially for a window : curtain

b

: a sterile covering used in an operating room

—usually used in plural

3

: the cut or hang of clothing

drapey

ˈdrā-pē 

adjective

Synonyms of drape

Verb

• decorate
• adorn
• dress

Noun

• curtains

Examples of drape in a Sentence

Verb

We'll drape strings of lights between the trees for the party.

the town hall was draped in bunting for the annual Fourth of July festivities

Noun

we hung drapes in the living room to match the new color scheme

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Zaful Women’s Sweater This tunic has drop shoulders and a side-split hem that drapes nicely over leggings for casual outings or dress pants for office days. —Cheryl Wagemann, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

The silhouette of the dress was mostly fitted, but with the draping element and asymmetric design, the frock featured some fluidity of movement. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025

Noun

When in the 1980s Hanai (Watanabe) suffers an attack, coughing up blood onstage as untreated diabetes takes hold of him as well as the realization that his time is up, the impulse is to cover him up with a red drape rather than pierce the onstage decorum. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 Nov. 2025

HeirRoot blends 58 percent regenerative cotton and 42 percent Tencel for a soft, fluid drape, while RootCraft is composed of 100 percent regenerative cotton for a pure, natural feel. —Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably back-formation from drapery

First Known Use

Verb

1847, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for drape

• ape
• cape
• crape
• crepe
• gape
• grape
• pape
• rape
• scape
• scrape
• shape
• snape

Kids Definition

drape

1 of 2 noun

ˈdrāp 

1

plural : drapery sense 2

2

: arrangement in or of folds

3

: the cut or hang of clothing

drape

2 of 2 verb

draped; draping

1

: to cover or decorate with or as if with folds of cloth

2

: to arrange in flowing lines or folds

a beautifully draped satin dress

Medical Definition

drape

1 of 2 transitive verb

ˈdrāp 

draped; draping

: to shroud or enclose with surgical drapes

drape

2 of 2 noun

: a sterile covering used in an operating room

—usually used in plural