Forms: 3–4 cape, 3– cope; 4– northern cape, (caip, kape, kaip); also 3 kope, 4 coepe, 4–6 coppe, 5–7 coope, 6–7 coape. [In 12th c. cāpe (pl. capen), ME. cōpe, repr. an OE. *cápe wk. fem., not exemplified (cf. ON. kápa, Dan. kaabe), a. med.L. cāpa cope, as to which see CAP.
Cápe, if in OE., must have been a late word, introduced after cāpa ‘cope’ became the prevalent form and sense in med.L. (see Du Cange), long after cappa in its earlier form and sense gave cæppe CAP. Cf. cantelcapas in O. E. Chron., an. 1070: see CANTEL-CAPE. The ME. forms might be from ON. kápa, but this is an unlikely source. The phonetic series L. cāpa, OE. cápe, ME. cape, cope, mod. cope, Sc. cape, caip, is parallel to L. pāpa, OE. pápa, ME. pape, pope, mod. pope, Sc. pape, paip.]
† 1. A long cloak or cape worn as an outer garment, chiefly out of doors. Obs. Cf. CAPE.
(By the 16th c. translators used to render χλαμύς and toga.)
c. 1205. Lay., 7782. A cniht mid his capen. Ibid. (c. 1275). On cniht mid his cope.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 46. A route Of ladies … In kirtles and in copes riche They weren clothed alle aliche.
1466. Paston Lett., No. 549, II. 270. Cloth for a ridyng cope for himself.
1535. Coverdale, Isa. xxx. 22. Yf ye destroye the syluer workes of youre Idols, and cast awaye the golden coapes that ye deckt them withall.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph. (1877), 27 (D.). Xantippe had pulled awaie her housebandes cope from his backe, even in the open strete. Ibid., 47. The side robe or cope of homely and course clothe soche as the beggerie philosophiers, and nong els vsen to weare.
1575. Brieff Disc. Troubl. Franckford, cciii. Copes and garments aswell for the common vse, as for the ministerie.
1745. Baker, Don Quix., I. I. v. 31. This curious Cap and his fine brocard Cope will make him outshine the Sun-Dial.
† b. As the special dress of a monk or friar. Obs.
(Quire cope = cappa choralis.)
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 56. Ȝif he haueð enne widne hod & one ilokene cope.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 227/274. Monekes it weren ech-on, And yreuested faire and in queor-copes.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 110. Under couele and cope The foule prede lythe.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 262. Ffor there he [the Frere] was nat lyk a Cloystrer With a thredbare cope as is a poure scoler.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 292. Seyn þat þey folwen fully Fraunceses rewle, Þat in cotynge of his cope is more cloþ y-folden Þan was in Fraunces froc.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 7412. Doen on the cope of a frere.
c. In the University of Cambridge, a cape or tippet of ermine worn by doctors of divinity on certain special occasions.
1798. A. Wall, Ceremonies Univ. Camb. (1828), 39. The Vice-Chancellor is in his cope. Ibid., 80. After the Service, they return to the Vestry, where the Doctors in Divinity change their copes for their Scarlet gowns, and the Proctors their Congregation habit for their hoods squared.
2. Eccl. A vestment of silk or other material resembling a long cloak made of a semicircular piece of cloth, worn by ecclesiastics in processions, also at Vespers, and on some other occasions.
[1868. W. B. Marriott, Vestiar. Christ., 167. The name pluviale … and … cappa, and our own cope point to the origin of the vestment as originally worn out of doors as a protection from the weather.]
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 134/954. Þo seint thomas hadde is masse i-songue his chesible he gan of weue; All is oþur uestimenz, on him he let bi-leue … A-boue he caste is cope.
1382. Wyclif, Wisd. xviii. 24. In the clothing of the preest coepe, that he hadde, was al the roundnesse of erthis.
c. 1460. Churchw. Acc. St. Andrew’s, East Cheap (in Brit. Mag., XXXI. 397). For amendyng of Coopis & vestimentts xvjd.
1527. in Pocock, Rec. Ref., I. xxvi. 54. Four of the doctors prebendaries of the said Paules in coppes and grey amys.
1549. Bk. Com. Prayer, Communion Rubric, The Priest … shall put upon hym the vesture appointed for that ministration, that is to say, a white Albe plain, with a vestment or Cope.
1562. Paper prepared for Synod, in Strype, Ann. Ref., I. xxvii. 318. That the vse of vestments, copes and surplices, be from henceforth taken away.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 300. A most solemne marche, and pompous procession: wherein … there wanted neither Coape nor Canapie.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., 84. Coapes and costly vestments decke the hoarsest and beggerlyest singing-man.
1603. Const. & Canons Eccles., No. 24. Copes to be worne in Cathedrall Churches by those that administer the Communion.
1625. Purchas, Pilgrims, II. 1409. After them came … Friers in their rich Coapes singing, carrying many Pictures and Lights.
1629. P. Smart, Treat. Altars, 8. If we doe, then may we also admit to the administration of the holy Communion, instead of decent Copes, ridiculous piebald vestments.
1838. Coronation Service, in Maskell, Mon. Rit. (1847), III. 88. The Archbishop goeth to the Altar and puts on his Cope.
1885. Catholic Dict., s.v., The cope is used in processions by those who assist the celebrant, by cantors at vespers, etc., so that it is by no means a distinctively sacerdotal vestment.
¶ Often erroneously used as a historical term, where chasuble or pallium would be correct as a matter of fact.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Casulla, a cope for a priest, læna.
1826. Milman, A. Boleyn, 13.
| But when I saw the Arch-heretic enrobed | |
| In the cope and pall of mitred Canterbury, | |
| Lift the dread Host with misbelieving hands. |
1862. H. Marryat, Year in Sweden, I. 311. He arranged … that the Swedish primate should receive the cope, sent by the pontiff, from the hands of her archbishop.
† 3. A cover for a table, a table cloth. Obs. rare.
c. 1450. Bk. Curtasye, 690, in Babees Bk., 322. At aber ende he [the pantere] castes a cope Layde downe on borde, the endys plyed up.
4. fig. (In cope of night, the primary notion was app. ‘cloak’; but in later use, that of ‘canopy’ or ‘vault’ appears to be sometimes present; cf. sense 7.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 101. This Yris … Her reiny cope did upon.
c. 1400. Test. Love, I. (1560), 275 b/1. The cope of tene is wound about all my body.
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, III. xxiii. Night aprocheth with his coopes dunne.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 45. Whom though you … enriche with a great dower of wordes, and decke with gay copes of sentences.
1704. Addison, Poems, Campaign, Misc. Wks. 1726, I. 74. Till the dark cope of night with kind embrace, Befriends the rout and covers their disgrace.
a. 1843. Southey, Inscriptions, xxv. The second night drew over them Its sheltering cope.
1866. Alger, Solit. Nat. & Man, IV. 282. Under the cope of midnight.
† 5. Cope of lead: a leaden coffin. Obs.
Only Sc.: usually in form cape, caip.
c. 1450. Henryson, in Bannatyne Poems, 135. And to the deid, to lurk vnder thy caip, I offer me with hairt richt humily.
1536. Bellenden, Chron. Scot., XVI. xix. He miserabilly deceasit, and wes brocht in ane caip of leid in [= into] Ingland.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., Wks. (1846), I. 179. It was thowght best, to keap him frome styncking, to geve him great salt ynewcht, [and] a cope of lead.
† 6. A covering of vaulted form; a vault. Obs.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, L v b. They [two quenes] were take and putte under a grete and heuy coope of lede, and there they deyd of an euylle dethe.
1578. Banister, Hist. Man, IV. 62. The vi [muscle] … runneth vnder the coope, or vaulte of the wrest of the hand.
Under the cope of heaven = ‘under heaven, in all the world’: an exceedingly common phrase from 14th to 18th c.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 3. Oþer housis hadde he noon but þis wildernesse and cope [v.r. coope] of hevene.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1527 (Hypsip. & Medea). Undyr the cope of heven that is above.
1460. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866), 97. The grettest Clerke … vnder heuen cope.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xxvii. 574. Ther is not your leke vnder the cope of heven.
1549. Compl. Scot., Ded. 3. The maist vailȝeant princis that ar vndir the cape of hauyn.
1571. Campion, Hist. Irel., II. ix. (1633), 115. I serve under the cope of heaven, when you are served under a Canopy.
1591. Spenser, M. Hubberd, 1228. Whatso the heauen in his wide cope containes.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., XIV. vi. 10. From all parts of the wide world … within the cope and curtaine of heaven.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, V. 773. Betwixt the cope of stars and earth.
1666. Bunyan, Grace Abounding (1879), 389. Whether there be … a Woman breathing under the Copes of the whole Heaven.
1771. Smollett, Humphry Cl. (1815), 106. Without any other cover than the cope of heaven.
1829. H. Neele, Lit. Rem., 314. The arch of Heaven’s wide cope.
1880. Swinburne, Stud. Song, 38. Darkening the sky To the extreme azure of all its cloudless cope.
b. Also simply the cope.
1596. Spenser, Hymn Hon. Love, 95. All these things that are contained Within this goodly cope.
1608. Shaks., Per., IV. vi. 132. The cheapest country under the cope.
1657. Cokaine, Obst. Lady, II. i. The most insatiable gluttons under the Cope.
1735. Thomson, Liberty, IV. 1177. Exalted as the cope That swells immense o’er many-peopled earth.
1827. Pollock, Course of T., X. The cope, above and round about, was calm.
1867. G. Macdonald, Songs of Summer Days, IV. ii. Slow clouds from north and south appear … And climb the vaulted cope.
¶ c. In later usage, apparently, vaguely used for (a) vertex, height (as if confused with cop); (b) firmament, expanse.
1603. Breton, Post w. Packet Lett., Of Love. Sweete Ladie, If the reach of my capacitie could clime the Cope of your favoure.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 68. Not from the temporall skie and firmament, but even from the highest cope of heaven.
1730. Thomson, Autumn, 25. From heaven’s high cope the fierce effulgence shook.
1816. Coleridge, Lay Serm., 343. He … can as little appropriate it … as he can claim ownership in the breathing air, or make an inclosure in the cope of heaven.
1830. Tennyson, Poems, 81. Larks in heaven’s cope Sing.
d. A vault or canopy like that of the sky.
1658. Marvell, Poems, Appleton House. Under this Attic cope I move.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 345. Bad Angels seen Hovering on wing under the Cope of Hell. Ibid., VI. 215. So under fierie Cope together rush’d Both Battels maine.
1847. Longf., Ev., II. ii. 79. Over them, vast and high, extended the cope of a cedar.
8. Founding. The outer portion or case of a mold; the outer mold in bell-founding.
1856. Penny Post, Nov. (Ellacombe). In the case of the large Westminster bell, the cope was of iron, with the interior covered with a composition of clay and sand, etc.
1857. Lukis, Acc. Ch. Bells, 21. The outer mould or cope is formed.
1872. Ellacombe, Ch. Bells Devon, vii. i. 8–9. The cope fitted over the core…, like an extinguisher over a candle, with a vacuum left between them to receive the fused metal.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., s.v. Drag, The mould having been prepared in the two parts of the flask, the cope is put upon the drag before casting. After casting, the flask is opened by removing the cope.
1889. Notes Building Constr., III. 269. The outer brick cope … is … lifted away.
† 9. A superficial deposit considered as a covering or coating of the stratum beneath: cf. COPING.
1631. Markham, Weald of Kent, II. i. 7. Some of them [marls] have over them a cover of ground, which we call Cope. Ibid. A cold stiff and wet clay, which is either the Cope of the Marl or lieth near unto it … commonly called The Marl Cope ground.
10. The COPING of a wall, etc. (dial. cape).
1847–78. Halliwell, Cape, the coping of a wall.
1877. E. Peacock, N. W. Linc. Gloss., Cape, Capeing, the coping-stones of a wall or other building.
1880. L. Wallace, Ben-Hur, 351. Solid wall … with a balustrade on its cope.
11. Comb. (sense 2), as cope-chest, -maker, -work.
1551–60. Invent. Sir H. Parkers, in Hall, Elizabeth. Soc. (1887), 151. A Tester of blewe and white velvett, panyd & embroderid with Cope worcke of gould.
1628. Canterbury Marriage Licences (MS.), John Salter of Canterbury cope-maker.
1865. Athenæum, No. 1941. 24/2. Armoire, cope-chest, stalls.
1874. Micklethwaite, Mod. Par. Churches, 163. The mediæval quadrant-shaped cope-chests.
