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

widowerhood

hardihood

2

: time : period

childhood

3

: instance of a (specified) state or quality

falsehood

4

: individuals sharing a (specified) state or character

brotherhood

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• cloak
• shroud
• veil
• 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

Pop the hood and remove the oil cap; this will make the oil flow better. —Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025

Police said the student was riding her scooter to Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School when the suspect approached her, grabbed the hood of her sweatshirt and tried to pull her. —Jason Green, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025

Their hoods are covered with special plugs where 2,200 corals grown at the Miami Native Coral Lab in Allapattah will be screwed in. —Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025

The look featured a hood and a puffed silhouette. —Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025

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)

1967, 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