Dictionary Definition

pongee n : a soft thin cloth woven from raw silk (or an imitation)

User Contributed Dictionary

A soft unbleached silk, from China or India, from silkworms that feed on oak leaves

Pongee is a soft thin woven cloth. Umbrellas made in China are very likely to be made from a mixture of polyester and pongee called 'Polygee'.

"The origins of Shinshu pongee go back to a silk cloth called ashiginu that was woven in the Nara period (710 - 794)".