Tow·el n.  A cloth used for wiping, especially one used for drying anything wet, as the person after a bath.
  Towel gourd Bot., the fruit of the cucurbitaceous plant Luffa Aegyptiaca; also, the plant itself. The fruit is very fibrous, and, when separated from its rind and seeds, is used as a sponge or towel. Called also Egyptian bath sponge, and dishcloth.