COWL (O.E. cufle, Med. Lat. cuculla, from Lat. cucullus, a hood; Dutch keuvel), a mantle with a hood, worn by monks; hence the phrase "to take the cowl," signifying entry upon the religious life. The word is also used for the hood alone, which in some orders is detached from the cloak. The early Egyptian anchorites wore a cowl covering only head and neck; but the two cowls (thick in winter and thin in summer) which St. Bene dict prescribed for his monks (c. 53o) were hooded cloaks, the length of which was restricted by St. Benedict of Aniane (d. 821) to two cubits. The council of Vienne (13 I I) defined the cowl (cuculla) as "a habit long and full without sleeves," as distinct from the wide-sleeved frock (floccus).
The word "cowl" is also applied to a hood-shaped covering to a chimney or ventilating shaft (see VENTILATION).