hood

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈhu̇d 

plural hoods

1

a(1)

: a flexible covering for the head and neck

(2)

: a protective covering for the head and face

b

: a covering for a hawk's head and eyes

c

: a covering for a horse's head

also : blinder

2

a

: an ornamental scarf worn over an academic gown that indicates by its color the wearer's college or university

b

: a color marking or crest on the head of an animal or an expansion of the head that suggests a hood

3

a

: something resembling a hood in form or use

b

: a cover for parts of mechanisms

specifically : the movable metal covering over the engine of an automobile

c

chiefly British : a top cover over the passenger section of a vehicle usually designed to be folded back

d

: an enclosure or canopy provided with a draft for carrying off fumes, sprays, smokes, or dusts

e

: a covering for an opening (such as a companion hatch) on a boat

hood transitive verb

hoodlike

ˈhu̇d-ˌlīk 

adjective

hood

2 of 4

noun (2)

ˈhu̇d 

variants or 'hood

plural hoods or 'hoods

informal

: a neighborhood and especially an inner-city neighborhood

also : inner city

hood

3 of 4

noun (3)

ˈhu̇d  ˈhüd 

plural hoods

informal

: hoodlum

… he understands the hood's plight that led him to crime.

—Scott Waldyn

Named for his [Elvis Presley's] iconic song of the same name, Jailhouse Rock centers on Vince Everett, a young hood serving a one-year jail sentence for manslaughter.

—Jake Dee

-hood

4 of 4

noun suffix

1

: state : condition : quality : character

likelihood

hardihood

2

: time : period

childhood

3

: instance of a (specified) state or quality

falsehood

4

: individuals sharing a (specified) state or character

sisterhood

priesthood

Synonyms of hood

Noun (1)

• cloak
• veil
• shroud
• wraps
• blanket
• robe
• curtain

Noun (3)

• thug
• bandit
• gangster
• villain
• assassin
• criminal

Examples of hood in a Sentence

Noun (1)

counterfeiters conducting their affairs under a hood of secrecy

Noun (3)

when a gang of hoods started hanging out in front of the store, customers went elsewhere

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For much of the evening, Gaga sang with her back to the audience, her face shrouded by a hood or veil, as if to shun the spotlight. —Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 15 May 2026

Think welcome-mat light shows in your driveway, a Tron-style grid on the garage floor for your kids, or an outdoor film night thrown straight from the hood of the car. —New Atlas, 15 May 2026

After all, Smith was fitting eight pieces of gum into the hood of Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s sweatshirt next to him. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 15 May 2026

One of this franchise’s calling cards in the early days was an extensive selection of bumpers, skirts, hoods, and spoilers for every vehicle, but Playground has seemingly poured more attention into extreme-yet-static Forza Edition cars rather than swappable cosmetics. —Adam Ismail, The Drive, 14 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English hōd; akin to Old High German huot head covering, huota guard

Noun (2)

short for neighborhood

Noun suffix

Middle English -hod, from Old English -hād; akin to Old High German -heit state, Goth haidus way, manner

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun (2)

1966, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1880, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hood

• hood ornament

Rhymes for hood

• could
• good
• should
• stood
• would
• adulthood
• babyhood
• brotherhood
• cottonwood
• fatherhood
• firewood
• allgood

Kids Definition

hood

1 of 3 noun

ˈhu̇d 

1

: a soft covering for the head and neck often attached to a coat or cape

2

: a marking, crest, or fold on the head of an animal

3

a

: something resembling a hood in form or use

b

: a cover for parts of mechanisms

especially : the movable metal covering over the engine of an automobile

c

: an enclosure provided with a draft for carrying off disagreeable or harmful fumes, sprays, or dust

hooded

-əd

adjective

hoodlike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

hood

2 of 3 noun

ˈhu̇d  ˈhüd 

informal

: hoodlum

-hood

3 of 3 noun suffix

ˌhu̇d

1

: state : condition : quality

hardihood

2

: time : period

childhood

3

: instance of a state or quality

falsehood

4

: individuals sharing a state or character

brotherhood

Etymology

Noun suffix

Old English hād "condition, quality"

Biographical Definition

Hood 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

ˈhu̇d 

John Bell 1831–1879 American Confederate general

Hood

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Samuel 1724–1816 1st Viscount Hood British admiral

Hood

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

Thomas 1799–1845 English poet