Definition of drape in English:

drape

verb

with object and adverbial

1Arrange (cloth or clothing) loosely or casually on or round something.
‘she draped a shawl around her shoulders’
- ‘Ariel has draped some clothing on the tree and Trinculo takes a robe and puts it on.’
- ‘She dressed quickly, and draped a yellow scarf over her shoulders.’
- ‘Her green jacket was loosely draped in the crook of her elbow, and her jeans were clean, as if they had been purchased recently.’
- ‘I took the piece of cloth and found holes where the head and the arm would go though, and draped the clothing over my head.’
- ‘Create your own fashion originals by freely draping fabric directly on the dress form.’
- ‘A see-through white scarf was draped over his leather belt and trailed down the back of his dark purple leg-armor.’
- ‘A yellow shawl to match her dress was draped over her forearms, and she chuckled nervously at Allen's reaction.’
- ‘Logan dressed in a pair of shorts and draped a shirt and towel over his shoulder before he walked over to Brett's room to see if he wanted to join him.’
- ‘His suit jacket was draped over his chair and his tie was loosened a bit so he could work comfortably before he left.’
- ‘The main color was teal but a darker blue see-through skirt was draped over the bottom of the dress.’
- ‘He draped his suit jacket over the chair and walked over to his answering machine.’
- ‘Hajnalka's four-year-old daughter Regina flops down between them and closes her eyes as Mark drapes his sweater over her.’
- ‘Women born in the Sixties onwards are so unused to chivalry that we wouldn't know what to do with it if it bit us on the nose, apologised and draped its coat over that puddle we were about to step into.’
- ‘In a further affront to American freedoms, a traditional scarf was draped over her shoulders.’
- ‘I draped my scarf across the coat hanger and turned around.’
- ‘‘No, this booth is free,’ Alan announced grandly, abandoning his pint and draping his coat over his shoulders.’
- ‘Mills came in, draping his coat over the back of the chair.’
- ‘Nathan turned away, draping his coat across one of the stools before helping himself to the contents of the coffee pot.’
- ‘Dare's leather jacket was draped across the back of the sofa.’
- ‘My own coat was still draped over the chair by the door, but even from where I stood I could see loose threads dangling from the seams.’
1. 1.1Cover or wrap loosely with folds of cloth.
  ‘the body was draped in a blanket’
  ‘She was squatting by the fire wrapped in scarlet cloth, her shoulders draped in a soiled blanket.’
  ‘The fact is that on the streets of India, certainly by Western standards, most women appear to be draped, swathed and completely covered in fabric.’
  ‘All the furniture is draped in grey blankets to make it more sophisticatedly grey.’
  ‘They are also draped in sarees and decorated adeptly with jewels.’
  ‘The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general.’
  ‘We've taken to draping a blanket over the sofa during the week when we are gone all day, and then throwing that in the wash once a week.’
  ‘Mark gently removed the hand from his waist and sat up, draping the blanket onto Claire.’
  ‘She drapes the warm blanket around his shivering skin.’
  ‘A cozy blanket drapes your lap, electric-blue shadows flicker in the dimly lit room.’
  ‘He drapes a blanket over me, drops a kiss on my forehead and he leaves, locking the door silently behind him.’
  ‘He held up a blanket and draped it around my shoulders.’
  ‘She was draped in a shimmering golden cloth that barely covered her and was held in place by a ruby pin.’
  ‘His coffin was draped in a Union flag and was carried by six soldiers from his artillery battery.’
  ‘At his funeral the coffin was draped with the club flag and members carried the coffin.’
  ‘His 6'4'' body is in a coffin draped with the American flag.’
  ‘There was at least thirty people sitting at both sides of the table, all draped in black robes.’
  ‘Instead, he saw a tall woman, draped in rose silk.’
  ‘The walls and beds were draped in silks and velvets.’
  ‘Behind them a van draped with garlands crept along, its rear doors open.’
  ‘The rest of the room was draped in a majestic red; the carpet a deep burgundy color.’
  wrap, arrange, wind, swathe, sling, hang, let fall in folds
  cover, envelop, swathe, shroud, decorate, adorn, array, deck, bedeck, festoon, bundle up, muffle up, blanket, overlay, cloak, veil, wind, enfold, sheathe
  View synonyms
2. 1.2Let (oneself or a part of one's body) rest somewhere in a casual or relaxed way.
  ‘he draped an arm around her shoulders’
  ‘I was sleeping on my side and he'd draped himself over my body, head stretched out on the point of my shoulder, legs hanging down my back and chest.’
  ‘While the pain explodes from his body he drapes himself over Nobantu's lap and she rubs his back just as she had rubbed his mother's leg at hospital just a few days before.’
  ‘But I made it outside, feeling good about myself when I felt an arm drape itself across my shoulder.’
  ‘She jumped as she felt an arm drape itself around her shoulders.’
  ‘They quite unselfconsciously continued to drape themselves over each other; one would rest his head on the other's shoulder, the other would wrap his arms around his friend.’
  ‘Yesterday, she came along and draped herself completely across both of my arms.’
  ‘Dicena had cried herself out and draped herself on her mother's shoulders, arms limply dangling down Debra's back.’
  ‘After Ben's birth, when the baby blues hit their worst low, the most physical exertion I could manage was draping myself over my ball, in a quasi-foetal position.’
  ‘But since this would involve draping myself over couches wearing a toga and sucking grapes it would lack novelty, being all too similar to an ordinary Saturday night chez Lupin.’
  ‘She is very strong and can pin big healthy adults to the sofa for hours on end, simply by draping herself across a belly, falling asleep, and generally being warm and fuzzy.’
  ‘Or perhaps that's just static from the man-made fibres sported by the louche characters draping themselves across the furniture.’
  ‘Freshly installed spouse Sophie, meanwhile, has only just stopped short of draping herself across the bonnets of sports cars in ermine and tiara.’
  ‘They do not shrink, but stoop, draping themselves over the lip of the vase that holds them.’
  ‘Last week two bikini models draped themselves across a couple of 1970s Nortons for a magazine fashion shoot.’
  ‘She draped herself over me and planted a very wet kiss right on the inside of my ear (and so it was pretty loud too).’
  ‘In between phone calls she would drape herself over the chap (who really didn't seem interested) and cackle uncontrollably whenever he made a sound.’
  ‘Much of the time they are on screen, the girls have no lines; they just lounge about, draping themselves Siamese-cat-style over furniture, trees and one another.’
  ‘I dragged myself onto my knees beside her to check that she hadn't broken her toe or anything serious like that, but I was little help, draping myself over her shoulder as I attempted to focus upon her foot.’
  ‘Ugh, what was Luca doing draping himself like this on her?’
  ‘To listen to the first disc of this double album, you need a polished wooden floor to sashay across, before draping yourself onto a sheepskin rug with a glass of the old bubbly.’
  dangle, hang, suspend, let fall, droop, drop, place loosely, lean
  View synonyms
3. 1.3no object (of fabric) hang in loose, graceful folds.
  ‘velvet drapes beautifully’
  ‘The fabric draped off her diminutive form, hiding her hands and bare feet easily.’
  ‘Black fabric draped through the halls, concealing all portraits and ornamentation.’
  ‘On most males, the fabric will drape down from the shoulder area to provide a convenient hollow behind the hip.’
  ‘She stepped out of the shadows, her long jet black hair reaching to her waist, a gown of fine gold fabric draping from her shoulders to her feet and leaving her slender arms bare.’
  ‘Sarah looked inside and saw a wide double bed with hanging curtains draping onto it.’
  ‘Crepe de chine drapes beautifully and works well for loose, bias-cut skirts, blouses and dresses.’
  ‘The window well included about a dozen of these pillow-pods in sepia tones, some of them soft enough to drape slightly as they hung over a horizontal divider.’
  ‘They should drape beautifully from the waist to the toes, with a clean, unbroken line running down the front of the legs.’
  ‘It drapes geometrically, clashing beautifully with the natural world.’
  ‘Black and red curtains draped gracefully to the floor, resplendent with fierce twining dragons.’
  ‘The cloak draped down to her ankles, and like the cloak, it was also lined in gold.’

noun

1drapesNorth American Long curtains.
‘Katherine pulled back the heavy velvet drapes’
- ‘Inside the hulk are heavy drapes and two red velvet chairs.’
- ‘She looked at the heavy long velvet drapes covering the window.’
- ‘His office was lavish, with a thick, deep red carpet, and heavy velvet drapes, the same color as the carpet, pulled back at the windows.’
- ‘We settled some distance from the doors, by one of the big windows with the familiar heavy drapes of velvet.’
- ‘Heavy velvet drapes in blood red, cut a vertical moat from the outside world, and bathed the room in candle glow orange.’
- ‘A sunken lounge features Moroccan cushions and pouffes, while a dining alcove is covered in rich velvet drapes in red, orange and ochre.’
- ‘The three of us settled into a hidden alcove hung with burgundy velvet drapes.’
- ‘Call the cleaners and they will take care of the carpets, curtains, drapes, furniture, upholstery and put a beautiful Spring gloss to your home.’
- ‘White lacy curtains with dark red drapes covered the French windows, giving the room a warm, cozy ambience.’
- ‘She has no curtains or drapes and it's a big ‘picture’ window, so you can't help but notice. She talks but there's no-one else in the room.’
- ‘They walked down an aisle between rows of theatre seats, toward an upraised dais at the far end of the chamber, where a pair of elegant thrones sat empty before velvet drapes of purple.’
- ‘They quickly readied mounts, some for the number of servants she was taking and one for her, which they bedecked in gold, velvet, and silk drapes.’
- ‘Having now reached the said window she slowly drew open the marron velvet drapes of her study's only window, standing as far away as possible from the window at all times.’
- ‘Decked out in velvet drapes, plush red sofas and funky antiques, it's part Moulin Rouge part Berlin bordello.’
- ‘The thick velvet drapes were drawn in the chamber, blocking out the setting sun.’
- ‘Thick curtains and drapes set off luxurious leather-covered cushions with button-up fronts that look mouth-wateringly comfortable.’
- ‘The windows were always closed with heavy drapes.’
- ‘Fitted carpets, heavy drapes, upholstered furniture - even soft toys - promote dust accumulation and the breeding of dust mites.’
- ‘If not, speak up; request the quietest corner room or the one with the heavy drapes or silk wallpaper that help muffle sound.’
- ‘In crowded Athens, heavy drapes are not de rigueur, nor are lowered voices, and the neighbourhood sights and sounds press in upon you.’
1. 1.1usually as modifier A man's suit consisting of a long jacket and narrow trousers, as worn by a Teddy boy.
  ‘a drape jacket’
  ‘Rather than try and dress it up in a drape jacket, she cannot put enough emphasis on how the genre has expanded its parameters since she first trod the boards of the church halls and less salubrious venues.’
  ‘Meanwhile Roy will be wearing a cream drape suit and creepers with leopard skin fronts.’
  ‘I indicated the one in the pink drape coat and western string tie standing in the shadows, almost in the wings.’
2. 1.2A cloth for covering parts of a patient's body other than that part on which a surgical operation is being performed.
  ‘The circulating nurse then preps the patient, and the surgeon places the surgical drapes.’
  ‘Materials used for surgical gowns and drapes should be resistant to penetration by blood and other body fluids as necessitated by their intended use.’
  ‘The scrub person then drapes the patient by securing a towel with an adhesive strip on the patient's forehead and placing a body drape down the entire length of the patient.’
  ‘Researchers randomly collected reusable and single-use surgical sets containing drapes and gowns that were deemed ready for use in the OR.’
  ‘The deceiving effect of surgical drapes, as well as various stages of intraoperative brain swelling, impairs the surgeon's orientation.’
  ‘The surgeon and scrub person apply surgical drapes and position the suction, drill, and electrosurgical pencil on the field to be connected.’
  ‘The surgeon and scrub person then apply the surgical drapes.’
  ‘With the patient lying supinely, the abdomen is prepared in the usual sterile manner; surgical drapes are placed.’
  ‘Another challenge exists if the patient's identification bracelet has been removed or is under surgical drapes.’
  ‘One woman said she felt ‘very isolated’ during the biopsy because of the surgical drapes.’
  ‘The scrub person and surgeon place sterile drapes over the surgical site but avoid overdraping.’
  ‘It is important never to leave a lighted endoscope or light source lying on surgical drapes.’
  ‘The drapes include a plastic U-shaped drape that is placed around the patient's surgical leg and a lower extremity drape.’
  ‘In the early 1900s, the use of surgical gowns and drapes evolved as a standard of practice.’
  ‘The perioperative team members remove the drapes and move the patient from the lithotomy to the supine position.’
  ‘How essential are full body drapes for those procedures?’
  ‘How vital is it for those patient drapes to be made of costly barrier-quality materials?’
  ‘Remove the drapes from the patient to protect against burns and inhalation of toxic gases.’
  ‘Use a clear, incise drape on the surgical site, which inadvertently helps to keep the flow of oxygen at the surgical site.’
  ‘A cap, sterile gown, gloves, mask, and barrier drapes are needed when a catheter is placed.’
2in singular The way in which a garment or fabric hangs.
‘by fixing the band lower down you obtain a fuller drape in the fabric’
- ‘The firm has developed mathematical algorithms to simulate fabric drape and garment fit.’
- ‘Add the desired amount of pintucks to each side of the center, remembering that the more pintucks sewn, the more the fabric drape will be affected.’
- ‘Or perhaps it is just the drape of fabric which makes the fashion statement.’
- ‘See the fabric drape and reveal the curve and flow of the body beneath.’
- ‘The result is an improved drape and luster, giving a feel and look of elegance.’
- ‘These silk sportshirts are crafted here in a comfortable waffled texture with relaxed, oversized fit, a superior drape and long-lasting style.’
- ‘‘Mysore Silk’ sarees have a distinctive drape, grainy effect and are washable to a very high degree.’
- ‘This works particularly well for women, with the gun worn to the front and concealed by the drape of blouse.’
- ‘I then took the rope and tied it off around my waist, tightening the drape to give me a more decent look.’
- ‘This brushed fabric has the soft hand and silky drape of rayon, but, unlike traditional rayon, can be machine-washed and dried.’
- ‘Its sleeves flowed down her arms ending in a willowy drape nearly two feet long from which a golden tassel hung.’
- ‘It's all about this sexual power, the drape, the swagger.’
- ‘Love the ease of pull-on pants, but not the drape or feel?’
- ‘A great suit is the result of a flattering cut, good tailoring, and fabric that is distinctive, comfortable, and has a good drape.’
- ‘He has everything right - the stagger of the man walking, the drape of the man sitting, the accusatory point of the man's finger.’
- ‘This is a resilient fabric that resists wrinkling in addition to being pliable and soft with a good drape.’
- ‘The heavy drape of it hides all from his steady eye as I turn before him.’
- ‘Eva studied the drape of ancient robes on vases and kylices in order to develop the proper weave of the costumes.’
- ‘Or perhaps it is just the drape of fabric which makes the fashion statement.’