This article focuses only on church uses of cowls. Please help improve this article by adding general information and discuss at the talk page.(August 2020)
A cowl is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves, often worn by monks. It was developed during the Early Middle Ages. The term may have originally referred to the hooded portion of a cloak, though contemporary usage refers to an entire closed garment. A cowl is traditionally bestowed upon the monk at the time of making solemn, or lifetime, profession. Today, it is worn primarily by most Catholic and Anglicanmonks when participating in liturgical services.