a soft or flexible covering for the head and neck, either separate or attached to a cloak, coat, or the like.
something resembling or suggesting such a covering, especially in shape, as certain petals or sepals.
the hinged, movable part of an automobile body covering the engine.
British. the roof of a carriage.
a metal cover or canopy for a stove, ventilator, etc.
Falconry. a cover for the entire head of a hawk, used when the bird is not in pursuit of game.
an ornamental ruffle or fold on the back of the shoulders of an academic gown, jurist's robe, etc.
a crest or band of color on the head of certain birds and animals.
to furnish with a hood.
to cover with or as if with a hood.
John Bell, 1831–79, Confederate general in the U.S. Civil War.
Raymond Mathewson 1881–1934, U.S. architect.
Robin. Robin Hood.
Thomas, 1799–1845, English poet and humorist.
Mount, a volcanic peak in N Oregon, in the Cascade Range. 11,253 feet (3,430 meters).
a loose head covering either attached to a cloak or coat or made as a separate garment
something resembling this in shape or use
the US and Canadian name for bonnet
the folding roof of a convertible car
a hoodlike garment worn over an academic gown, indicating its wearer's degree and university
falconry a close-fitting cover, placed over the head and eyes of a falcon to keep it quiet when not hunting
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
See Robin Hood
Samuel, 1st Viscount. 1724–1816, British admiral. He fought successfully against the French during the American Revolution and the French Revolutionary Wars
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)
indicating state or condition of being
manhood
adulthood
indicating a body of persons
knighthood
priesthood
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.
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
First recorded in 1925–30; by shortening
First recorded in 1965–70; African American Vernacular English; by shortening
Middle English -hode, -hod, Old English -hād (cognate with German -heit ), special use of hād condition, state, order, quality, rank
A hood is a protective covering. It could be a car hood protecting the engine or your car or it could be the hood on your coat protecting your noggin. Your favorite sweatshirt might have a hood, as well as your fur-lined winter coat and your insulated hood for scuba diving. Other things with a similar protective quality are also called hoods, like the metal vent cover over your stove, the cover on your car's engine, and the cap-like plant sections that cover vulnerable parts. One of the most famous hoods in literature is the red one worn by the main character in "Little Red Riding Hood."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Echoing that signature yellow hue: a walnut island, a hammered barrel-vaulted copper hood, a copper farmhouse sink and replicated 1920s cabinetry painted “Matchstick” by Farrow & Ball.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Before we pop open that hood, there are a few things worth knowing about Bending Spoons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
It also says never to buy a baby sleeping bag with a hood or without armholes, or one with excess material or attachments, and to make sure to buy the right size sleeping bag.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Specs can digitize a chess board, provide AR-guided training for shooting basketballs and even highlight the coolant reservoir under the hood of a car, according to videos and photos online.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
He stalked into the dense woods, drawing his hood low over his one glowing eye.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
As an actor, writer and director, he became a powerful figure in the British film industry for making movies including the 'hood series - Kidulthood, Adulthood and Brotherhood.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2025
“Whereas on the street, or in the ’hood, or whatever, the average player just plays,” he explained.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2023
“We’re spoiled in our ’hood for sure,” he says of all White Center’s food offerings.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 27, 2023
"They Cloned Tyrone," directed and co-written by Juel Taylor, is a futuristic 'hood mystery based around a white and white-adjacent corporate agenda to control the Black community through fried chicken, drugs and perms.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2023
No big deal, just another day in the ’hood.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
In May, the Pentagon canceled the deployment of an armored brigade to Poland from Fort Hood, Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Freelance video games journalist Vic Hood said the price tag for the standard edition was "fairly reasonable" but said the lack of disc may "irk some physical collectors".
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
Hood said the price may set a new standard for AAA or big-budget games.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
While the movie also acknowledges that there are myths forming around Robin Hood that suggest he may have a history of benevolent deeds, Sarnoski tilts the viewer toward not believing that.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Longstreet sent his compliments, hoped Hood got him the water.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
When joined together, the h- of the -hood is put in immediate apposition with the s of the monks-.
From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
She looked through the pinhole and saw two men wearing hoods.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
"She knows what she was told was based on false hoods... She should out the newspapers on the offering of money for stories."
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026
"We know that even though people may have been wearing hoods or masks, we still have the ability to identify them and bring them before the courts, and we will pursue that relentlessly," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2025
They stood atop stone walls, car hoods, rooftops, on hills upon hills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
I gathered the necessary tools and set up in one of the fume hoods along the eastern wall.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
But merging in along the route were sections of masked, hooded invidividuals, many dressed all in in black.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
Shafer noticed he could wear a T-shirt while pruning trees instead of the usual hooded sweatshirt and knitted hat.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Wearing an ill-fitting hooded sweatshirt, with gray stubbles and baggy eyes, he didn’t look like a typical upscale tourist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026
His shift didn't finish until three in the morning and he's ensconced in a hooded down jacket to keep out the winter weather.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
With a second and louder pop, another hooded figure materialized.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Their accounts echo those of the Negra Francisca crew: cuffing and hooding by armed English-speakers before being turned over to a Salvadoran patrol craft, which took them to El Salvador.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
The upper tends to address hooding and volume loss of the eyelid, while the lower focuses on puffiness and dark circles or hollowing under the eye, says Dr. Flora Levin, a Connecticut-based oculoplastic surgeon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 1, 2026
She attended a Baptist pastor’s hooding ceremony, a public event for a Japanese sister city, and a luau held by a local nonprofit’s C.E.O.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 12, 2019
Horrified Sir John told the inquiry he had not been aware of the ruling by former Prime Minister Edward Heath in 1972 outlawing hooding.
From BBC ● May 18, 2010
Gollum blinked, hooding the malice of his eyes with their heavy pale lids.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
