Obs. [Altered form of F. drap cloth, covering = Pr. drap, Sp. and Pg. trapo, It. drappo:—med.L. drappus cloth (Capit. Charles the Bald, a. 850), of uncertain origin: see Diez, and Note below.] A cloth or covering spread over the saddle or harness of a horse (cf. TRAPPER sb.1); a caparison; a trapping; transf. the hangings of a litter. (Usually in pl.).
13[?]. K. Alis., 1606 (Bodl. MS.). Þere men miȝtten quyk yseon Many hors wiþ trappe wryen. Ibid., 3416. Many trappe many croupere.
13[?]. Coer de L., 1515. A messanger ther com rydand, Upon a stede whyt so mylke, His trappys wer of tuely sylke.
a. 1400. Octouian, 954. He bar thre rochys of seluer clere In scheld and trappys.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XI. xv. 20. Hys rych mantill, of quham the forbreist lappis, Ratling of brycht gold wire, wyth gyltin trappys.
1721. Strype, Eccl. Mem., III. iv. 36. The Queen [Mary, 1553] in her litter, richly garnished with cloth of gold, with two traps of white damask and cushions.
[Note. It is clear that 14th-c. trap and trappure (later TRAPPER sb.1) correspond to OF. drap and drapure. The question is how these F. words in dr- have tr- in Eng. This may have been an Eng. change, due to influence of TRAP in other senses. But the trap form may have existed in Anglo-Fr. or even in Fr. dialects. Du Cange has trapus (one example) for med.L. drappus; Pg. and Sp. have trapo ‘clout, rag,’ formerly ‘cloth,’ also trapero (draper), trapería, trapajo; med.(Anglo-)L. had trappatura, the ordinary equivalent of trappure, OF. trappeūre: see TRAPPER sb.1]
