Cape
Geography
A cape is a coastal landform extending beyond the adjacent coast into the
sea or a
lake. A cape is usually more than just a
headland and
peninsula, having considerable effects on the directions of ocean currents around them.
The most important capes :
Clothing
A cape is also an article of clothing, and can be used to describe any sleeveless outer garment, such as a poncho. They were common in
medieval Europe, and have periodic returns to
fashion, for example in
nineteenth century Europe. They remain in regular use as rainwear in various
military units and
police forces, for example in
France and the
United Kingdom. Perhaps for this reason, capes became associated with
fascism in
Italy during the
1920s. A
gas cape was a voluminous military garment designed to give rain protection to someone wearing the bulky gas masks used in
twentieth century wars.
Superheroes, vampires, and the like are often depicted wearing capes, and they are therefore sometimes adopted by those with superheroic or vampiric pretensions.