What does cagoul mean?
A cagoul is, literally, a hood — the word comes from French, where une cagoule denotes a covering for the head and neck that leaves only the face exposed. In English, however, the term surfaces almost exclusively through history books: "the Cagoule" was the nickname of a secretive French far-right movement of the 1930s, officially known as the Comité Secret d'Action Révolutionnaire, whose members were said to don hoods during meetings and plots against the Third Republic. The name stuck because the hood symbolized anonymity and conspiracy. Outside these historical discussions the word is essentially unknown to most English speakers, who would reach instead for balaclava or hood. Knowing "cagoul" therefore signals familiarity with interwar French politics, and it carries an unmistakably sinister connotation — secrecy, masked faces, and subversion — inherited directly from the clandestine group that made the word famous.
nounA hood or cowl, especially one worn to conceal the face; by extension, in English usage, a member of the Cagoule, a secretive French far-right organization of the 1930s whose name derived from the hooded garments its members allegedly wore.
- A hood or covering for the head and face (French origin).
- A member of the Cagoule, the French far-right terrorist organization active in the 1930s.
"Historians still debate how close the Cagoul came to overthrowing the Third Republic."
"The conspirators met at night, each hidden beneath a cagoul."
"Several former Cagouls later reappeared in collaborationist circles during the Occupation."
Used when referring to multiple members of the organization; the garment sense is usually uncountable.
"The arrested Cagouls were tried behind closed doors."
In the 1930s, a shadowy French group called the Cagoule plotted against the Republic — taking its name from the hoods members wore to hide their faces at clandestine meetings.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cagoul
The word derives from French "cagoule," meaning a hood or cowl, which itself traces back through Provençal "cagoulo" to Late Latin "cuculla," a monk's hooded garment — the same Latin root that gives English "cowl." The political sense arose in France in the mid-1930s, when journalists nicknamed the secret far-right organization the Cagoule after the hoods its members reportedly wore. The spelling without the final -e reflects direct borrowing into English texts about that group.
How cagoul is actually used
The word is rare in everyday English. When encountered, it almost always refers to the historical French organization (usually styled "the Cagoule") rather than to a hood as a garment; for the latter, English speakers use "balaclava" or "hood."
Easily confused with cagoul
"Cagoule" (with a final e) is the standard spelling, referring both to a lightweight waterproof hooded garment and to the French secret society, while "cagoul" is a less common variant spelling.