hoods
word · lemma: hood
Definition
Plural of 'hood.' Can mean coverings for the head (like on a sweatshirt), the metal cover over a car engine, or, informally in the US, neighborhoods.
Usage & Nuances
'Hoods' as head coverings is standard. 'The hoods' for car engine covers is mostly US usage. In US slang, 'the hoods' means urban neighborhoods, especially poorer ones—used mainly in African American Vernacular English (AAVE). Don't confuse with 'hood' meaning criminal (UK slang: 'hoodlum').
Example Sentences
Pull your hoods up if it gets windy out there!
natural
The children wore their hoods because it was raining.
basic
Some cars have very large hoods.
basic
The jackets come with removable hoods.
basic
I grew up in one of the toughest hoods in Chicago.
natural
Mechanics opened the cars' hoods to check for problems.
natural