A long, loose cloak or overcoat historically worn in Spain and Spanish colonies, often with a hood.
Spanish word derived from 'balandra' (the ship), possibly because the cloak's voluminous cut resembled the billowing sails of the ship, or because sailors wore such garments. The term reflects Spanish colonial fashion.
Fashion experts think this cloak got its name from the ship because of how dramatically the fabric flowed—just like sails catching the wind—which shows how everyday language borrows images from what people see around them.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.