cope

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cope 1 long cloak or cape (esp. eccl.) XIII; ‘canopy’ of night, heaven XIV; outer mould in founding XIX. ME. cāpe, repr. OE. -cāp, *cāpe = ON. kápa — medL. cāpa, var. of cappa (whence F. chape; cf. CAP, CHAPEL).
Hence cope-stone top stone of a building XVI; whence prob. cope vb. cover (a wall) with a head stone XVII; coping uppermost course of masonry or brickwork XVII; see -ING 1.

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