noun
hiding
HEYE-dihng
noun
1
The state of being concealed.
"The suspect has been in hiding for weeks."
2
Informal: a beating, or a heavy defeat.
"The team took a real hiding in last night's match."
How to Use Hiding
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither being concealed from view, or, informally, a thrashing or crushing defeat.
When to use it
The "beating/defeat" sense is informal, common in British English sports talk.
Common pairings
go into hiding
take a hiding
Word Forms
hidings plural, hidings plural
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Etymology
Related to "hide" (Old English "hydan"); the "beating" sense likely comes from the older meaning of whipping someone with a strip of animal hide.