Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CHAPE, n. [Fr. chape, the tongue of a buckle, a cover, a churchman's cope, the head of an alembic; Arm. chap; Sp. chapa, a thin plate of metal covering some kind of work. Qu. cap.]

1. The catch of any thing, as the hook of a scabbard, or the catch of a buckle, by which it is held to the back strap.
2. A brass or silver tip or case, that strengthens the end of scabbard. – Johnson. Phillips.