What is "towel gourd"

Towel \Tow"el\, n. [OE. towaille, towail, F. touaille, LL. toacula, of Teutonic origin; cf. OHG. dwahila, swahilla, G. zwehle, fr. OHG. dwahan to wash; akin to D. dwaal a towel, AS. [thorn]we['a]n to wash, OS. thwahan, Icel. [thorn]v[=a], Sw. tv[*a], Dan. toe, Goth. [thorn]wahan. Cf. Doily.] 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 [AE]gyptiaca; 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.

n. loofah plant