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

What began as a discussion about how to drape a sari properly evolved into something far bigger. —Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

The breezy textile, frequently used for T-shirts, was draped into an elegant dress, which also featured a three-dimensional bodice and a thigh-high slit. —Hannah Malach, InStyle, 21 Jan. 2026

Noun

Evening sets in as the mansion’s floor-to-ceiling, retractable glass window drapes a panoramic vista of the greater Los Angeles area into the wide-open living space. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2026

For dry dusting, drape a microfiber cloth over your Swiffer head and secure it by tucking the edges into its rubber grippers. —Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 20 Jan. 2026

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