/ ˈhaɪdɪŋ; NAmE / noun
1.
[ U ] the state of being hidden :
After the trial, she had to go into hiding for several weeks.
He only came out of hiding ten years after the war was over.
We spent months in hiding .
2.
[ C , usually sing. ] ( informal , especially BrE ) a physical punishment, usually involving being hit hard many times
SYN beating :
to give sb / get a (good) hiding
( figurative )
The team got a hiding in their last game.
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IDIOMS
- on a hiding to nothing
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WORD ORIGIN
noun sense 2 and idsym. early 19th cent.: from hide animal skin + -ing .
noun sense 1 Middle English : from hide conceal + -ing .