hiding
UK: ˈhaɪdɪŋ | US: ˈhaɪdɪŋ
n. the action of concealing oneself or something
n. a physical beating or thrashing (informal, chiefly British)
The word "hiding" derives from the Old English verb hȳdan ("to conceal"), which traces back to Proto-Germanic hūdijaną. The suffix -ing is a productive nominalizing suffix in English, turning verbs into nouns denoting the action or result (e.g., "running," "writing"). Over time, "hiding" retained its core meaning of concealment while also developing a colloquial sense of "beating" in British English, likely from the idea of "giving someone a hiding" (i.e., making them hide from pain).
The children enjoyed playing hide-and-seek, taking turns in hiding.
She found the perfect hiding spot for her diary under the floorboards.
The thief went into hiding after the robbery.
(Informal, UK) He got a good hiding for misbehaving in school.
The cat remained in hiding until the dog left the room.