cape

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Middle French cap, from Occitan cap, from Latin caput (“head”). Doublet of caput, chef, and chief, and distantly with head.

noun

1. (geography) A piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into a sea or lake; a promontory; a headland.

Etymology 2

From French cape, from Old Occitan capa, from Late Latin cappa (“cape”). The second sense ("superhero") is metonymic from the fact that many superheroes wear capes. Likewise, the verb sense "defend, praise" alludes to the stereotypical depiction of superheroes wearing capes when they come to people's defense. (Compare caped crusader and cape (“a superhero”).) Doublet of capa and cappa.

noun

1. A sleeveless garment or part of a garment, hanging from the neck over the back, arms, and shoulders.
2. (slang) A superhero.
   Rows and rows of booths and pavilions stretch across the floor, draped with glowing holograms and shifting signs beckoning capes to try their wares. Bystander insurance. Hypertech components. Mystical ingredients. Training DVDs ... 2017, April Daniels, Dreadnought: Nemesis - Book One, Diversion Books

verb

1. To incite or attract (a bull) to charge a certain direction, by waving a cape.
   I became a novillero when I was fourteen, but I had already been going to the fields and caping bulls since I was about twelve. 2013, Odie Hawkins, The Black Matador, "Sugar", AuthorHouse, page 140
2. (nautical) To head or point; to keep a course.
   The ship capes southwest by south.
3. To skin an animal, particularly a deer.
4. (US, slang, chiefly with "for") To defend or praise, especially that which is unworthy.
   A lot of African-Americans believe the answer is Clinton, mostly because "she's not Trump" and because President Barack Obama is shamelessly caping for her. 2016, Ken Makin, “Clinton-Trump debacle underscores gross misunderstanding of politics”, in Urban Pro Weekly, 6 October - 12 October 2016, page 5
   Many times, you see white supremacist groups caping for women to mask their agenda of white nationalism. 2017, Laila Nur, quoted in Jordan Green, "Far-right groups converge behind anti-sharia message in Raleigh", Triad City Beat, 14 June - 20 June 2017, page 9
   "I can't believe I'm out here caping for a politician." 2017, Mindy Isser [organizer], quoted by Aubrey Whelan [journalist] in "For Philly's socialists, election wins signal momentum", The Philadelphia Inquirer, 15 November 2017
   […] Biden is the old man who once caped for systematic racism; […] 3 April 2019, Julian Lutz, “Elizabeth Warren has authenticity”, in The Hawk, Saint Joseph's University, page 8
5. (transitive) To cover (as) with or like a cape.
   The white fur that caped his neck and shoulders stood on end. 1988, Susan Lowell, Ganado Red: A Novella and Stories, Milkweed Editions, page 86
   He shook her gently, combing his fingers through her coppery curls that caped her shoulders like filigree. 1991, Terri Valentine, Outlaw’s Kiss, Zebra Books, page 329
   He caped the children and draped them in long wraps, wigs, and swords, and then they all went off down the hall, around the house, and into the yard, Jack singing in his high little voice, “Let’s go off adventuring, adventuring, adventuring!” 1995, Jim Schutze, By Two and Two: The Scandalous Story of Twin Sisters Accused of a Shocking Crime of Passion, New York, N.Y.: William Morrow and Company, Inc., page 62
   Out of the corner of his eye, he saw blatant relief sketched on her face as the jacket caped her body. 2014, Kate Meader, Hot and Bothered, Forever, Grand Central Publishing