hid ‧ ing /ˈhaɪdɪŋ/ BrE AmE noun
1 . [uncountable] when someone stays somewhere in secret, especially because they have done something illegal or are in danger
be in/go into/come out of hiding
He went into hiding in 1973.
2 . [singular] spoken informal
a) a severe physical punishment SYN beating :
You’ll get a good hiding when you come home!
You’re not too big for a hiding, you know.
b) an occasion when you defeat someone in a sports game
3 . be on a hiding to nothing British English informal to be completely wasting your time trying to do something