hide¹ / hīd/ • v. (past hid / hid/ ; past part. hid·den / ˈhidn/ ) [tr.] put or keep out of sight; conceal from the view or notice of others: he hid the money in the house the sacred relic had been hidden away in a sealed cavern. ∎  (of a thing) prevent (someone or something) from being seen: clouds hid the moon. ∎  keep secret or unknown: Hal could hardly hide his dislike. ∎  [intr.] conceal oneself: Juliet's first instinct was to hide under the blankets he had a little money and could hide out until the end of the month. ∎  [intr.] (hide behind) use (someone or something) to protect oneself from criticism or punishment, esp. in a way considered cowardly or unethical: companies and manufacturers with poor security can hide behind the law.• n. Brit. a camouflaged shelter used to get a close view of wildlife.PHRASES: hide one's head cover up one's face or keep out of sight, esp. from shame.hide one's light under a bushel keep quiet about one's talents or accomplishments.DERIVATIVES: hid·er n.hide² • n. the skin of an animal, esp. when tanned or dressed. ∎  used to refer to a person's ability to withstand criticisms or insults: “I'm sorry I called you a pig.” “My hide's thick enough; it didn't bother me.”PHRASES: hide or hair of someone the slightest sight or trace of someone: I could find neither hide nor hair of him.save someone's hidesee save¹ .tan (or whip) someone's hide beat or flog someone. ∎  punish someone severely.DERIVATIVES: hid·ed adj.hide³ • n. a former measure of land used in England, typically equal to between 60 and 120 acres, being the amount that would support a family and its dependents.

hide1 skin. OE. hȳd = OS. hūd (Du. huid), OHG. hūt (G. haut), ON. húð :- Gmc. *χūðiz :- IE. *kûtis (cf. Gr. kûtos, L. cutis CUTICLE).
Hence as vb. thrash, whence (colloq.) hiding thrashing. XIX.

hide2 measure of land reckoned sufficient to support a free family with dependants. OE. hīd, earlier hīġid, f. hīġ-, hīw- (in comb.) = OHG. hī-, ON. hý-, Goth. heiwa-, rel. to L. cīvis citizen and to OE. hīwan (pl.) members of a household, OHG. hī(w)un, ON. hjún man and wife.

hide3 hide-and-seek a children's game in which one or more players hide and the other or others have to look for them.
those who hide can find proverbial saying, early 15th century, meaning that those who have concealed something know where it is to be found.

See also hide one's light under a bushel.

hide1 a former measure of land used in England, typically equal to between 60 and 120 acres, being the amount that would support a family and its dependants.