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
variants
or 'hood
plural hoods or 'hoods
informal
: a neighborhood and especially an inner-city neighborhood
also
: inner city
plural hoods
informal
: hoodlum
… he understands the hood's plight that led him to crime.—
Scott Waldyn
Scott WaldynNamed 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
Jake Dee1
: 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
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
Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 7 Mar. 2025
Since 2020, only one case of abandonment, in which a premature infant was left on the hood of a car in Mansfield and survived, was captured after multiple revisions of OCA data, Ghio said.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2025
The Sentra caromed into the taxi, climbed up its hood, and came to rest.
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
What to watch: In the wake of January's disaster, President Trump called for sweeping air traffic control overhauls, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy welcomed Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to take a look under the hood.
—Shawna Chen, Axios, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hood
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
It's got a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip under the hood, plenty of RAM and storage, and a sizable 6,000mAh battery.
—Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 7 Mar. 2025
Since 2020, only one case of abandonment, in which a premature infant was left on the hood of a car in Mansfield and survived, was captured after multiple revisions of OCA data, Ghio said.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2025
The Sentra caromed into the taxi, climbed up its hood, and came to rest.
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
What to watch: In the wake of January's disaster, President Trump called for sweeping air traffic control overhauls, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy welcomed Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to take a look under the hood.
—Shawna Chen, Axios, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hood
Cite this Entry
“Hood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hood. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hood
1 of 3 noun1
: 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
adjective
-əd
-hood
3 of 3 noun suffixˌhu̇d
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
2 of 3biographical name (2)
Samuel 1724–1816 1st Viscount Hood British admiral
Hood
3 of 3biographical name (3)
Thomas 1799–1845 English poet
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