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.
Even if the visible damage is limited to the hood, radiator and front bumper, there may be damage to other parts, including the cooling system, headlights, sensors and other important elements.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 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
But it’s still worth looking under the hood to make sure you understand just what you are getting.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 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
Valley stuffed rancid jelly bean fish from the Uncle’s basement in Seven’s pockets, in the hood of her cloak—she even put one in her shoe.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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
“I’m not even in the ghetto. I’m not in the ‘hood.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 27, 2023
“We’re spoiled in our ’hood for sure,” he says of all White Center’s food offerings.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 27, 2023
But it’s in his youngest son that he has found his greatest achievement, this icon of the ’hood making his biggest moves at home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2023
That was the first time in my life that I had heard someone talk about living in the ’hood in a positive manner and with a smile on their face.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
In May, Hegseth abruptly canceled the nine-month rotation of an armored brigade to Poland from Fort Hood, Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 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
Turning Robin Hood into a conflicted antihero suggests society has been infiltrated by cynicism about anyone being able to save us.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Freelance video games journalist Vic Hood said each entry in the series "continued to push technical and gameplay boundaries", with GTA Online helping to "pioneer the live service model as we know it".
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
Mom, Mrs. Hameed, Sara, and I follow Justin to the garage with Robin Hood leading the way and David behind.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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)
Both kept their hoods up throughout proceedings and their faces covered by masks so large only their eyes were still visible.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Small tips, like the cut of hoods, or the excess arm space runners need in order to move, showed students how intricate even the simplest of pieces needed to be.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
Companies that buy aluminum to make everything from soda cans to car hoods have been feeling the pain of more expensive aluminum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026
She looked through the pinhole and saw two men wearing hoods.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
There were leather skins hanging up, which had been snipped about as pieces were cut out of them for jesses, hoods or leashes.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
His press conferences are almost theatrically placid, Brunson often slouched in a hat and/or hooded sweatshirt and deflecting any effort to valorize his success.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
Walking down a makeshift runway in a top-floor studio, a model pulls on a translucent, hooded jacket embedded with LED lights.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
In May, the father of a man who ran a Malta-based cryptocurrency company was kidnapped by four hooded men in Paris.
From Barron's ● Feb. 8, 2026
My eyes would be equally hooded, or not hooded at all, and my skin smoother.
From Slate ● Jan. 7, 2026
But looking at the cold face with its blank, hooded eyes, he felt something stirring inside him and knew it was fear.
From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz
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
“I never thought I would get plastic surgery,” said Caruso, who opted in after noticing that her eyeliner no longer showed up on her eyes due to hooding.
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
I decided to order the cessation of all hooding as it had become particularly emotive in light of the death of Baha Mousa.
From BBC ● May 18, 2010
At her glance the overseer blinked quickly, then composed himself, his lids hooding his little dark eyes, his rosebud mouth tightening to a slit.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
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.
