Poncho vs. Shawl — What's the Difference?

A poncho (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpontʃo]; Quechua: punchu; Mapudungun: pontro; "blanket", "woolen fabric") is an outer garment designed to keep the body warm. A rain poncho is made from a watertight material designed to keep the body dry from the rain.

A shawl (from Persian: شال‎ shāl, which may be from Hindi: दुशाला duśālā, ultimately from Sanskrit: शाटी śāṭī) is a simple item of clothing, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, which is often folded to make a triangle, but can also be triangular in shape.

A blanketlike cloak having a hole in the center for the head.

A piece of fabric worn by women over the shoulders or head or wrapped round a baby.

A similar garment having a hood used as a raincoat.

A usually square, rectangular, or triangular piece of cloth worn as a covering for the head, neck, or shoulders.

A simple garment, made from a rectangle of cloth, with a slit in the middle for the head.

To cover with or as if with such a piece of cloth.

A similar waterproof garment, today typically of rubber with a hood.

A square or rectangular piece of cloth worn as a covering for the head, neck, and shoulders, typically by women.

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.

A fold of wrinkled flesh under the lips and neck of a bloodhound, used in scenting.

A trade name for camlets, or stout worsteds.

(transitive) To wrap in a shawl.

A blanket-like cloak with a hole in the center for the head

A square or oblong cloth of wool, cotton, silk, or other textile or netted fabric, used, especially by women, as a loose covering for the neck and shoulders.

To wrap in a shawl.

Cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders