hide
hide — noun
1. the outer skin of a large animal such as a cow or buffalo, especially after it h
the outer skin of a large animal such as a cow or buffalo, especially after it has been removed and treated for making leather products
Nala's grandmother made a traditional drum using buffalo hide and wooden hoops.
collocation: buffalo hide / cow hide / animal hide
Workers treated the cow hide with salt to stop it from rotting.
The museum displayed a collection of old tents sewn from animal hide.
In cold climates, people once wore coats made from thick animal hide.
The artisan carefully cut the deer hide into strips for making moccasins.
collocation: deer hide / leather hide
- thick hide
- buffalo hide
- cow hide
- animal hide
- deer hide
- raw hide
- treated hide
Grammar Patterns
hide + can be used as uncountable (animal hide in general) or countable (a buffalo hide)
Usage Note
Hide is distinguished from leather: hide refers to the raw or treated skin of large animals, while leather is the material after it has been fully processed for commercial use.
Common Mistakes
2. a small shelter in the countryside where people sit quietly to watch birds and w
a small shelter in the countryside where people sit quietly to watch birds and wild animals while staying out of their sight
Gabriela sat quietly in the hide and watched a fox cross the clearing.
collocation: sit in a hide / from a hide
The bird-watchers built a wooden hide near the edge of the lake.
From inside the hide, Christopher could see three deer drinking from the stream.
A well-placed hide allows photographers to take pictures without disturbing the animals.
- bird hide
- wildlife hide
- wooden hide
- build a hide
- sit in a hide
- from a hide
- blind
the North American equivalent, more commonly used for hunting than birdwatching
Grammar Patterns
a hide
in/from a/the hide
Usage Note
This sense is more common in British English; American English typically uses 'blind' (as in a hunting blind).
Common Mistakes
hide — verb
1. to move someone or something into a place where others will not be able to see t
to move someone or something into a place where others will not be able to see them or discover them, or to go into such a place yourself
Hyun hid the birthday present under his bed so his sister would not find it.
hide + noun + under [place]
The cat hid behind the sofa when the doorbell rang.
Diya's grandfather used to hide money in a jar buried in the garden.
hide + noun + in [place]
During the game, the children hid behind the old oak tree.
The travellers hid from the storm inside a small cave.
hide + from + danger / weather
- hide from
- hide in
- hide under
- hide behind
- hide inside
Grammar Patterns
hide + noun
hide + noun + preposition (in/under/behind/from)
hide (intransitive: go where you cannot be seen)
Usage Note
This is the most general sense of 'hide'. It is often followed by a preposition of place (in, under, behind, inside, from) that names the location or what is being avoided.
Common Mistakes
2. to cover something or be positioned in front of it so that it is no longer visib
to cover something or be positioned in front of it so that it is no longer visible
A tall building hides the sunset from our apartment windows.
hide + noun + from [vantage point]
Élise pulled the curtain across the window to hide the mess in the kitchen.
The clouds hid the moon, making the night very dark.
Emma used a scarf to hide the stain on her shirt.
hide + noun (imperfection)
A row of trees hides the highway from the village below.
- hide the view
- hide the sun
- hide the stain
- hide the mess
- be hidden by
Grammar Patterns
hide + noun
be hidden by + noun
Usage Note
The subject of this sense is typically an object or natural feature (building, tree, cloud, curtain) that blocks the view. Unlike sense 1, the thing being hidden is not moved; it stays in place but becomes invisible because something covers it or stands in front of it.
Common Mistakes
3. to keep your true feelings or emotions from showing on your face or through your
to keep your true feelings or emotions from showing on your face or through your behaviour
Mert tried to hide his nervousness by smiling during the interview.
hide + [emotion noun: nervousness / disappointment / excitement]
Sivan could not hide her excitement when she heard about the scholarship.
Dahlia hid her disappointment behind a polite nod.
Even though Aarav was angry, he hid his feelings and stayed calm.
Nala hid her frustration by taking a short walk around the office.
hide + emotion by + [action]
- hide your feelings
- hide your emotions
- hide your disappointment
- hide your anger
- hide your excitement
- hide your sadness
Grammar Patterns
hide + emotion noun
hide + noun + from + someone
Usage Note
The object of this sense is always an emotion or emotional state (anger, sadness, excitement, disappointment, nervousness). The pattern hide + emotion + from + someone can be used when a specific person is not meant to see the feeling.
Common Mistakes
4. to deliberately not tell someone about facts or information, especially when tha
to deliberately not tell someone about facts or information, especially when that person has a right or need to know them
The company hid the safety problems from the public for months.
hide + noun + from + [person/group]
Christopher hid the truth about his test score from his parents.
Doctors should not hide important information from their patients.
The landlord hid the fact that the roof leaked whenever it rained.
hide + the fact that + clause
Pim admitted he had hidden the real cost of the trip from his friends.
- hide the truth
- hide information
- hide the fact
- hide evidence
- hide from
- hide the real cost
Grammar Patterns
hide + information noun + from + someone
hide + that-clause
Usage Note
This sense is almost always used with 'from' to specify who is being kept unaware. The hidden information is typically an unwelcome fact or something that might cause a negative reaction. It can take a that-clause: 'hide the fact that...'.
Common Mistakes
hide behind
phrasal verbTo use something as an excuse or protection.
Diego hid behind his busy schedule to avoid the meeting.
She hid behind a fake name online.
To ignore a problem instead of dealing with it.
Maya buried her head in the sand about her failing grades.
Instead of hiding your head in the sand, talk to your boss.
To hide unpleasant facts or problems.
A fresh coat of paint can hide a multitude of sins.
His charming smile covered a multitude of sins.
To keep your abilities or good qualities secret.
Don't hide your light under a bushel; show your talent.
Sara always hides her light under a bushel at work.
Used to say that you cannot escape the results of your actions.
You can run but you can't hide from the law.
He thought he could escape, but you can run but you can't hide.
Word family
- hiddenadjectiveB1
- hidingnounB1
- hidernounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
Hide is the most general and neutral word — you hide a key under a mat, hide from danger, or hide your feelings. Conceal is more formal and suggests careful, intentional effort to keep something secret or out of sight; police might conceal their patrol car behind a wall. Cover simply means putting something over the object so it cannot be seen — you cover a dish with foil, but this is not necessarily secretive. Disguise implies changing appearance so that something is not recognised, rather than simply removed from sight: soldiers disguise a tank to look like a farm vehicle. Stash is informal and suggests hiding something valuable or forbidden for later use — teenagers stash sweets in their bedrooms. For everyday physical hiding, hide is the natural choice; for deliberate secrecy about facts or intentions, conceal fits more formal contexts.
Common collocations
Etymology
The verb 'hide' comes from Old English 'hȳdan' (to conceal, keep secret), which goes back to a Proto-Germanic root with the same meaning. The noun meaning 'animal skin' comes from a different Old English word, 'hȳd', related to Latin 'cutis' (skin) and Greek 'kýstis' (bladder). These two words share the same spelling but have completely separate origins — a case of homonyms that happened to converge over time.