poncho

American  

[pon-choh] / ˈpɒn tʃoʊ /

noun

• ponchos
  plural

1. a blanketlike cloak with a hole in the center to admit the head, originating in South America, now often worn as a raincoat.

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poncho British  

/ ˈpɒntʃəʊ /

noun

1. a cloak of a kind originally worn in South America, made of a rectangular or circular piece of cloth, esp wool, with a hole in the middle to put the head through

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ponchoed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ponchos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of poncho

First recorded in 1710–20; from Latin American Spanish: further origin uncertain; perhaps from Araucanian pontho “woolen fabric”; perhaps from Old Spanish poncho “a mantle or cloak”; perhaps a back formation from ponchón “lazy, sluggish”; perhaps an alteration of unrecorded pochón, an augmentative of pocho “pale, faded,” and probably akin to pachón “phlegmatic, sluggish”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

poncho ponchos

But the road wasn’t silent—trekking poles clicking against stone, rain snapping against my poncho, the slide of rocks under my shoes and the chorus of “buen camino.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

One soldier aided an older woman, her body wrapped in a poncho as the clouds thickened above.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2025

Wearing a clear poncho, he couldn’t be bubblier as he answers questions and generally holds court.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2025

Per Audun Heskestad looks as fresh as a 69-year-old in a soggy blue poncho can.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2024

Otto and I used my rain poncho the same way.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

There were green soccer jerseys, sure, but men wore colorful Oaxacan shirts, ponchos and gigantic sombreros.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

The approximately 70,000 spectators, many already in ponchos and rain coats, filed out and, in little more than 15 minutes, the concourses of "the Linc" resembled a huge train station on a holiday travel day.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

Outside Glasgow Green vendors had switched from selling water-proof ponchos on Friday to sunglasses and bottles of water, as the sun beat down on crowds heading towards the event.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

Sold at swap meets in the form of T-shirts, ponchos, statues, bags and so much more.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025

They carry ponchos, duffels, crates; a few tote brightly colored suitcases claimed from who knows where.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr