hood

¹

[hood]

noun

1. a soft or flexible covering for the head and neck, either separate or attached to a cloak, coat, or the like.

2. something resembling or suggesting such a covering, especially in shape, as certain petals or sepals.

3. the hinged, movable part of an automobile body covering the engine.

4. British.,  the roof of a carriage.

5. a metal cover or canopy for a stove, ventilator, etc.

6. Falconry.,  a cover for the entire head of a hawk, used when the bird is not in pursuit of game.

7. an ornamental ruffle or fold on the back of the shoulders of an academic gown, jurist's robe, etc.

8. a crest or band of color on the head of certain birds and animals.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with a hood.

2. to cover with or as if with a hood.

hood

²

[hood, hood]

noun

Slang.

1. a hoodlum.

'hood

³

Or hood

[hood]

noun

Slang.

1. a neighborhood, especially an urban neighborhood inhabited predominantly by African Americans of low socioeconomic status.

   It’s hard for these kids to break the cycle of poverty and get out of the 'hood.

Hood

⁴

[hood]

noun

1. John Bell, 1831–79, Confederate general in the U.S. Civil War.

2. Raymond Mathewson 1881–1934, U.S. architect.

3. Robin. Robin Hood.

4. Thomas, 1799–1845, English poet and humorist.

5. Mount, a volcanic peak in N Oregon, in the Cascade Range. 11,253 feet (3,430 meters).

-hood

⁵

1. a native English suffix denoting state, condition, character, nature, etc., or a body of persons of a particular character or class, formerly used in the formation of nouns: childhood; likelihood; knighthood; priesthood .

hood

¹

/ hʊd /

noun

1. a loose head covering either attached to a cloak or coat or made as a separate garment

2. something resembling this in shape or use

3. the US and Canadian name for bonnet

4. the folding roof of a convertible car

5. a hoodlike garment worn over an academic gown, indicating its wearer's degree and university

6. falconry a close-fitting cover, placed over the head and eyes of a falcon to keep it quiet when not hunting

7. biology a structure or marking, such as the fold of skin on the head of a cobra, that covers or appears to cover the head or some similar part

verb

1. (tr) to cover or provide with or as if with a hood

Hood

²

/ hʊd /

noun

1. See Robin Hood

2. Samuel, 1st Viscount. 1724–1816, British admiral. He fought successfully against the French during the American Revolution and the French Revolutionary Wars

3. Thomas. 1799–1845, British poet and humorist: his work includes protest poetry, such as The Song of the Shirt (1843) and The Bridge of Sighs (1844)

-hood

³

suffix

1. indicating state or condition of being

   manhood

   adulthood

2. indicating a body of persons

   knighthood

   priesthood

'hood

⁴

/ hʊd /

noun

1. slang,  short for neighbourhood

hood

⁵

/ hʊd /

noun

1. slang,  short for hoodlum

Other Word Forms

• hoodless adjective
• hoodlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hood¹

First recorded before 900, in 1925–30 hood ¹ for def. 3 (an Americanism); Middle English hode, Old English hōd; cognate with Old Frisian hōde, Dutch hoed, German Hut hat

Origin of hood²

First recorded in 1925–30; by shortening

Origin of hood³

First recorded in 1965–70; African American Vernacular English; by shortening

Origin of hood⁴

Middle English -hode, -hod, Old English -hād (cognate with German -heit ), special use of hād condition, state, order, quality, rank

Word History and Origins

Origin of hood¹

Old English hōd; related to Old High German huot hat, Middle Dutch hoet, Latin cassis helmet; see _hat

Origin of hood²

Old English -hād

Example Sentences

“You see hooded officials on the streets and it makes you feel fear, like you are in a war.”

From Los Angeles Times

Jason Yuan, a second-hand car shop owner, closes the hood of a vehicle after tightening the last nut on the battery terminal - a routine he is all too familiar with.

From BBC

Hank doesn’t know what these hoods want and he’s aching to get them off his back.

From Los Angeles Times

"There are only 200 hooded vultures in a human-based environment and the race is on. It's a fine line of what's needed to actually save them," said Ms Green.

From BBC

His identity has been withheld and, so far, he has appeared in public dressed fully in black, including a hood and a face mask.

From BBC

Related Words

• gangster 
• goon 
• hooligan 
• punk 
• tough 
• tough guy www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

What does -hood mean?

The suffix -hood is used to indicate “a state of being” or "a group of a particular characteristic or class." It is often used in a variety of technical and everyday terms.The form -hood comes from Old English hād, meaning “condition” or “rank.” Similar suffixes in Latin include -itās and -tūdō, both of which indicate a state of being and are the sources of the English suffixes -ity and -tude. Check out our entries for both suffixes to learn how frequently they appear.