Hoddy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A hooded outer garment or cloak, a term used in Scottish dialect for a coat with a hood
2. Scottish dialect word for a warm coat fitted with a hood to keep the head and shoulders dry
3. A regional name in Scotland for a loose, hooded cloak worn against wind and rain

Etymology: In Scots and northern English dialect, "hoddy" is most likely a variant of "hoody," a name for the hooded crow, the grey-and-black bird whose dark head and breast look as if they are wearing a hood. The name is simply "hood" with the diminutive "-y" ending, the same pattern that gives us "hoodie" today. The bird's plumage gave the name its image: a dark cowl over pale grey. Scots also has "hoddin," a coarse, undyed grey woollen cloth long worn by country people. Its exact origin is uncertain, and it is not established that it shares a root with the bird name, so the two should not be assumed to be related.