1A covering for the head and neck with an opening for the face, typically forming part of a coat or sweatshirt.

1. 1.1A separate garment similar to a hood, worn over a college gown or a surplice to indicate the wearer's degree.
   ‘Excited graduates walk up and down, parading their finery of gowns, hoods and mortarboards seemingly oblivious to the fact that these are colonial trappings.’
   More example sentences

   • ‘It was Graduation day at de Montfort on Thursday, with hundreds of young people wearing their gowns and colourful hoods, and dozens of doting parents taking pictures.’
   • ‘During the afternoon ceremony, master's degrees were conferred on 510 new graduates wearing brightly colored hoods denoting their major.’
2. 1.2Falconry A leather covering for a hawk's head.
   ‘There is a falcon hood - the brown leather dome, crowned with a tuft of feathers, is brittle like a little skull - and an envelope contains a watch.’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Hoods are used to keep the bird calm during transport.’
   • ‘It's the same principal falconers use when they put a hood over a falcon's head.’

2A thing resembling a hood in shape or use.

1. 2.1British A folding waterproof cover of an automobile, baby carriage, etc.
   ‘One drawback about the folding hard top is that you can't get luggage out when the hood is folded down.’
   More example sentences

   • ‘If the toy you choose has a clip, it will enable you to attach it to the front of the pram hood above the baby's head.’
2. 2.2North American The hinged metal canopy covering the engine of an automobile.
   British term bonnet
   ‘Additionally, the car's hood, doors, fenders, trunk lid, engine and suspension are aluminum.’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Under the hood, the engine is very similar to that of the earlier S300 model.’
   • ‘Often when dealing with parts of the engine, or the hard-to-reach spots under the hood, proper tools are required.’
   • ‘A supercharged 2-liter engine will be fitted under the hood at a future date.’
   • ‘But before we take a peek under that stylish hood, let's look at the styling.’
   • ‘The Buick's hood was open, and pieces of its engine were scattered across the floor like the shards of a broken plate.’
   • ‘Other aluminum panels on the Maybach body shell are the roof, hood, and front fenders.’
   • ‘James approached the car and laid a hand on the cold, smooth metal of the hood as if expecting the car to vanish when he touched it.’
   • ‘Air deflectors installed in front of a vehicle's hood are also often designed to match the style of the vehicle's bumper.’
   • ‘A horrible grinding noise issued from under the hood, and the Jeep's engine stopped.’
   • ‘They also offer essential auto parts such as Honda headlights, Honda fuel tanks, Honda radiators, Honda grilles, Honda hoods and many other Honda parts.’
   • ‘Becca replaced the valve covers and slammed the hood down.’
   • ‘River was looking under the hood with a flash light shining in.’
3. 2.3A canopy to protect users of machinery or to remove fumes from it.
   ‘Range hoods and fans remove grease and moisture from cooking, and so collect dirt.’
   More example sentences

   • ‘In the real case, it is likely that combustion products would have been removed by the extraction hood, even after the fan had failed.’
   • ‘And all range hoods require occasional cleaning or replacing of the grease-covered metal filters.’
   • ‘The primary purpose of a laboratory hood is to keep toxic or irritating vapors and fumes out of the general laboratory working area.’
   • ‘When using a large apparatus inside the hood, place the equipment on blocks, when safe and practical, to allow air flow beneath it.’
   • ‘For example, on most bath fans and kitchen exhaust hoods, the damper is located on the housing of the fan unit, right at the point where the vent pipe attaches to the housing.’
   • ‘The rooms appear to have been used for some sort of scientific purpose - there are special fountains for washing eyes, and ventilation hoods in every lab.’
   • ‘Many extractor hoods have lights, which can be useful for spotlighting your hob.’
   • ‘Heavy insulation of the tank and hood helps maintain operating temperature and reduce energy requirements.’
4. 2.4A structure or marking resembling a hood on the head or neck of an animal.
   ‘the hood of a rearing cobra’
   More example sentences

   • ‘In breeding plumage, the adult has a dark hood with a black eye and bill.’
   • ‘To ward off trouble, cobras can rear up, and they have hoods that expand out like a half umbrella to make themselves appear bigger and scarier than they actually are.’
5. 2.5The upper part of the flower of a plant such as a dead-nettle.
   More example sentences

   • ‘White spots on the hood may be absent or occur in patches.’

Put a hood on or over.

A gangster or similar violent criminal.

A neighborhood, especially one's own neighborhood.