poncho
UK /ˈpɒn.tʃəʊ/ · US /ˈpɑn.t͡ʃoʊ/ noun
Forms ponchos ponchoes
- noun A simple garment, made from a rectangle of cloth, with a slit in the middle for the head.
- noun A similar waterproof garment, today typically of rubber with a hood.
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish poncho, from Quechua punchu. In sense “rubber rain poncho”, attested 1845, used for non-South American garments in the United States and England from 1850s, popularized by US Western expeditions and military from 1850s, particularly after World War II (1940s).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A kind of cloak worn by the Spanish Americans, having the form of a blanket, with a slit in the middle for the head to pass through. A kind of poncho made of rubber or painted cloth is used by the mounted troops in the United States service.
- noun A trade name for camlets, or stout worsteds.
Etymology [Sp.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “poncho”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details