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 Math·ew·son [math, -yoo-s, uh, n], 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. slang.
   short for hoodlum

Hood

²

/ hʊd /

noun

1. Robin
   HoodRobin See Robin Hood
2. HoodSamuel, 1st Viscount17241816MBritishMILITARY: admiral Samuel, 1st Viscount. 1724–1816, British admiral. He fought successfully against the French during the American Revolution and the French Revolutionary Wars
3. HoodThomas17991845MBritishWRITING: poetWRITING: humorous writer 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

/ hʊd /

noun

1. slang.
   short for neighbourhood

hood

⁴

/ 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

⁵

suffix forming nouns

1. indicating state or condition of being

   manhood

   adulthood

2. indicating a body of persons

   priesthood

   knighthood

Derived Forms

• ˈhoodless, adjective
• ˈhoodˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• hoodless adjective
• hoodlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hood¹

First recorded before 900, in 1925–30 hood ¹fordef 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

Beyoncé also took to Instagram late Sunday evening to tease her fans about the performance and posted a trailer showing her standing on a car covered in roses, with a pair of longhorns mounted on the hood.

From Salon

At the High Court in Inverness, Lady Hood told the teenager - who cannot be named due to his age - there was no alternative to detention.

From BBC

Hood Baby founder Anny Saray Martinez grew up at the swap meets of L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

To others he was an opportunist, a rockstar and Robin Hood character.

From BBC

"At the beginning he was seen as a sort of Robin Hood character who was helping people obtain cannabis," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• gangster
• goon
• hooligan
• punk
• tough
• tough guy

Words That Use -hood

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.

Examples of -hood

An example of a word you may have encountered that features –hood is adulthood, “the state or period of being fully grown, fully developed, or of age.”

The adult– portion of the word means, naturally enough, “adult,” from Latin adultus. As we have seen, –hood refers to “a state of being.” Adulthood literally means “the state of being an adult.”

What are some words that use the equivalent form of –hood in Middle English?

• brotherhood
• childhood
• kinghood
• neighborhood
• sisterhood

What are some other forms that –hood may be commonly confused with?

• -head
• -hedron

Break it down!

Given the meaning of -hood, what does sisterhood mean?