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hide¹ Definition

hide (hīd)

transitive verb hid, hid′·den or hid, hid′·ing

  1. to put or keep out of sight; secrete; conceal
  2. to conceal from the knowledge of others; keep secret to hide one's identity
  3. to keep from being seen by covering up, obscuring, etc. fog hid the road
  4. to turn away to hide one's head in shame

Etymology: ME hiden < OE hydan < IE *(s)keudh- (> Gr keuthein, to hide) < base *(s)keu-, to cover > hide, sky, L cutis, skin

intransitive verb

  1. to be or lie out of sight or concealed
  2. to keep oneself out of sight; conceal oneself

noun

Brit. a place of concealment for an observer of wildlife, hunter, etc.

hide¹ Related Forms
hid′er noun
hide² Definition

hide (hīd)

noun

  1. an animal skin or pelt, either raw or tanned
  2. Informal the skin of a person

Etymology: ME < OE hid, akin to Ger haut < IE *(s)keut- (> L cutis, skin, Gr kytos, hollow container) < base *(s)keu-: see hide

transitive verb hid′ed, hid′·ing

Informal to beat severely; flog

hide² Idioms

neither hide nor hair

nothing whatsoever

hide³ Definition

hide (hīd)

noun

an old English unit of land measure varying from 60 to 120 acres (24 to 49 hectares)

Etymology: ME < OE higid < base of hiwan, household (akin to OHG hīwo, a husband, master of a household) < IE *eiwo- (> L civis, citizen) < base *ei-, to lie, camp > home, Gr koitos, bed, sleep

hide Synonyms

hide

n.

  1. Skin of an animal

    pelt, fell, rawhide, pigskin, chamois, shammy, bearskin, goatskin, jacket, integument, sheepskin, sealskin, snakeskin, alligator skin, calfskin; see also coat 2, fur, leather, skin.

  2. *Human skin

    integument, epidermis, pellicle; see skin. See syn. study at skin.

neither hide nor hair

nothing whatsoever, no indication, not at all; see nothing.

hide Synonyms

hide

v.

  1. To conceal

    conceal, shroud, curtain, veil, camouflage, cover, mask, cloak, keep in ignorance, not give away, ensconce, screen, adumbrate, blot out, reserve, bury, suppress, withhold, keep underground, stifle, tuck away, keep secret, hush up, shield, shade, eclipse, not tell, lock up, confuse, put out of sight, put out of the way, hold back, keep from, secrete, dissemble, smuggle, cache, harbor, overlay, shadow, conceal from sight, keep out of sight, entomb, stow away, protect, couch, block out, obstruct the view of, hoard, store, seclude, closet, inter, put in concealment, hush, darken, obscure, render invisible, wrap, shelter, envelop, throw a veil over, keep in the dark*, keep under one's hat*, seal one's lips*, put the lid on*, plant*, put in lavender*, sink*, salt away*, drop*, dump*; see also censor, disguise.

    Antonyms expose*, lay bare, uncover.

  2. To keep oneself concealed

    disguise oneself, change one's identity, cover one's traces, travel incognito, keep out of sight, go underground, lie in ambush, sneak, prowl, hermitize, burrow, skulk, avoid notice, lie in wait, hibernate, be concealed, stand aloof, hold oneself aloof, take refuge in a hiding place, lie low, conceal oneself, lie snug, lie close, rusticate, lie in ambush, lurk, shut oneself up, seclude oneself, lie hidden, keep out of the way, stay in hiding, retire from sight, hide out*, cover up*, duck*, keep shady*, lie hid*, keep in the background*; see also deceive, disappear, sneak.

hide, the general word, refers to the putting of something in a place where it will not easily be seen or found the view is hidden by the billboard; conceal, a somewhat formal equivalent for hide, more often connotes intent to conceal one's face, motives, etc.;secrete and cache suggest a careful hiding in a secret place they secreted, or cached, the loot in the cellar, but cache now often refers merely to a storing for safekeeping let's cache our supplies in the cave; bury implies a covering for, or as if for, concealment to bury treasure, they were buried in paperwork

hide Usage Examples

Object

  • treasure: Why did someone consider it necessary to hide the treasure under a tree?
  • truth: Some say the name is really just " GM " reversed to hide the truth that the car was actually made by General Motors.
  • secret: This family hid a secret which would tear it apart.
  • fact: Still, even all the bias can't hide the fact that the Tories are heading for another very heavy defeat.

Preposition: behind

  • veil: While hiding behind a veil of inanity, Friedman managed to push forward a more subtle agenda.
  • sofa: Someone, make me feel less pathetic and tell me you had to hide behind the sofa... !
  • facade: The Cuban newspaper Granma has also covered in depth the oppression of Aborigines hidden behind the glamorous facade of the Sydney Games.
  • bush: She crawled the last hundred yards and hid behind a bush at the edge of the clearing where the centaurs and Yolande stood.
  • curtain: She pretends not to notice his gaze and hides behind the curtain of washing and smiles.
  • mask: We can always hide behind the mask, and distance our sense of self from the role.

Noun used with modifier

  • script: This script hides the image caption block if there is nothing in it.

Present participle complement

  • overlook: From a hide overlooking the Giant Petrel colony on the beach, we should have good views of these somewhat shy birds.

Preposition: in

  • crevice: Hiding in the crevices of language, falling into its ravines, basking too in the silences you can only share with yourself.
  • bush: I didn't know there was a river, and thought she was just hiding in the bushes somewhere!
  • closet: Hiding in the closet, says Maupin, is deeply immoral.
  • shadow: This was held on Friday 25th June at a lovely restaurant called Merchant's almost hidden in the shadow under George IV Bridge.
  • cave: Maybe they're hiding in a cave or something.
  • attic: But Black Tiger gets away unscathed and hides in the attic of the governor's house.

Preposition: from

  • predator: This helps to keep the eggs warm and hidden from predators, such as Falcons.
  • sight: The idea of being locked in, hidden from sight and forbidden to work makes me shudder.
hide Quotes

Hood an ass with reverend purple, So you can hide his two ambitious ears, And he shall pass for a cathedral doctor.

—Jonson, Ben

I shoot the Hippopotamus With bullets made of platinum, Because if I use the leaden ones His hide is sure to flatten 'em.

—Belloc, (Joseph) Hilaire Pierre

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself inThee, Let the water and the blood, From thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

—Toplady, Augustus Montague

For an actress to be a success she must have the face of Venus, the brains of Minerva, the grace of Terpsichore, thememoryof Macaulay, thefigure of Juno, and thehide of a rhinoceros.

—Barrymore, Ethel

And said to the mountains and rocks,Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his 126 wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

—Bible (NewTestament)

Smarter than most of his colleagues in theTruman cabinet, but not smart enough to hide it.

—Reston,James B(arrett)

   He can run, but he can't hide.

—Louis,Joe pseudonym of  Joseph Louis Barrow