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hide

v. · n.
US //ˈhaɪd// UK //hˈaɪd// hide
Irregular verb past hid past participle hidden
  1. 1 to conceal something (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to put something in a place where people cannot see it or find it.

    to put something in a location where it is out of sight or difficult to discover; transitive in use.

    Example

    He tried to hide the broken vase behind the sofa before his parents came home.

    Example

    The smugglers had managed to hide the illicit goods within a false compartment in the truck's floorbed, evading the initial customs inspection.
  2. 2 to stay out of sight (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to go to a place where you cannot be seen or found.

    to position oneself in a location where one is out of sight; intransitive in use.

    Example

    The children like to hide in the tall grass during their games.

    Example

    The fugitive managed to hide in the dense forest for three days, successfully avoiding the search parties and aerial drones.
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  1. 3 animal skin (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the skin of a large animal, especially when it is used to make leather.

    the skin of an animal, either raw or treated for use as leather.

    Example

    The hunters traded the deer hides for supplies at the local market.

    Example

    The artisan carefully treated the cow hide to ensure the resulting leather would be supple enough for high-end upholstery.
  2. 4 wildlife observation post (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate British English

    a small, covered shelter used to watch birds or animals without them seeing you.

    a camouflaged structure or shelter designed to allow hunters or naturalists to observe wildlife undetected.

    Example

    We spent the morning in a wooden hide by the lake, watching the herons.

    Example

    From the bird hide, the researchers were able to document the nesting habits of the rare species without causing any distress to the colony.
  3. 5 historical land unit (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Technical

    an old English unit of land that was enough to support one family.

    a historical English unit of land area and tax assessment, traditionally considered sufficient to support one household.

    Example

    The ancient document recorded that the village was worth five hides of land.

    Example

    Domesday Book entries often categorised manors by the number of hides they contained, reflecting their productive capacity for taxation purposes.

Etymology 1

From Middle English hiden, huden, from Old English hȳdan (“to hide, conceal, preserve”), from Proto-West Germanic huʀdijan (“to conceal”), from Proto-Germanic huzdijaną (“to hoard”), from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewdʰ- (“to cover, wrap, encase”), from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH- (“to cover”). The verb was originally weak. In the King James Version of the Bible (1611), both hid and hidden are used for the past participle. Cognates Cognate with Dutch huiden, Low German (ver)hüden, (ver)hüen (“to hide, cover, conceal”), Welsh cuddio (“to hide”), Latin custōs, Ancient Greek κεύθω (keúthō, “to conceal”), Sanskrit कुहरम् (kuharam, “cave”). Related to hut and sky.

Etymology 2

From Middle English hyde, from Old English hȳd, from Proto-West Germanic hūdi, from Proto-Germanic hūdiz, from Proto-Indo-European kéw(H)tis (“skin, hide”) (compare Latin cutis (“skin, rind, hide”)), from Proto-Indo-European (s)kew(H)- (“to cover”), ultimately the same root as the above etymology. More at sky. Cognates See also West Frisian hûd, Dutch huid, German Haut, Danish hud, Welsh cwd (“scrotum”), Latin cutis (“skin”), Lithuanian kutys (“purse, money-belt”), Ancient Greek κύτος (kútos, “hollow vessel”), σκῦτος (skûtos, “cover, hide”).

Etymology 3

From Middle English hide, from Old English hīd, hȳd, hīġed, hīġid (“a measure of land”), for earlier hīwid (“the amount of land needed to support one family”), a derivative of Proto-Germanic hīwaz, hīwō (“relative, fellow-lodger, family”), from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- (“to lie with, store, be familiar”). Related to Old English hīwisc (“hide of land, household”), Old English hīwan (“members of a family, household”). More at hewe, hind.

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