c.1400, "to ornament with cloth hangings;" mid-15c., "to weave into cloth," from Old French draper "to weave, make cloth" (13c.), from drap "cloth, piece of cloth, sheet, bandage," from Late Latin drapus, perhaps of Gaulish origin (cf. Old Irish drapih "mantle, garment"). Meaning "to cover with drapery" is from 1847. Meaning "to cause to hang or stretch out loosely or carelessly" is from 1943. Related: Draped; draping.
1660s, from drape (v.). Jive talk slang for "suit of clothes" is attested from 1945.
drape (drāp)
v. draped, drap·ing, drapes
To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds. n.
A cloth arranged over a patient's body during an examination or treatment or during surgery, designed to provide a sterile field around the area.