/ kaʊl; NAmE / noun
1.
a large loose covering for the head, worn especially by monks
2.
a cover for a chimney , etc., usually made of metal. Cowls often turn with the wind and are designed to improve the flow of air or smoke.
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English cugele , cūle , from ecclesiastical Latin cuculla , from Latin cucullus hood of a cloak.