hiddle
English
Alternative forms
- hidel, hidle
- hiddil, heddle, hydle
- hidels, hydles
Etymology
From Middle English hidel, hydel, alteration, due to final s mistaken for the plural ending, of Middle English hidils, hudels (“hiding-place, concealment”), from Old English hȳdels (“a place of concealment, hiding-place, cavern, cave”), equivalent to hide + -le. For loss of final s compare also burial riddle. More at hide, huddle.
Noun
hiddle (plural hiddles)
- (now chiefly dialectal) A hiding-place; a sheltered spot.
- (now chiefly dialectal, Scotland) A cluster, small group of buildings, etc. set close together; a huddle.
Derived terms
- but hidel
- hidel-like
- in hidel
Related terms
- hide
- hideling
Verb
hiddle (third-person singular simple present hiddles, present participle hiddling, simple past and past participle hiddled)
- (transitive, Britain dialectal, Scotland) To hide; conceal.
- (intransitive, Britain dialectal, Scotland) To nestle closely; take shelter.
- (transitive, Britain dialectal, Scotland) To shelter (in one's arms).
Scots
Alternative forms
- hiddil, hidle, heddle
Etymology
From Early Scots hidlis (“hiding places”), from hiddil (“concealment”), from Middle English hidels.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈhɪˌdʌl/
Noun
hiddle (plural hiddles)
- A hiding place or shelter.
Adverb
hiddle (comparative mair hiddle, superlative maist hiddle)
- In a mysterious fashion.
Verb
hiddle (third-person singular present hiddles, present participle hiddlin, past hiddlet, past participle hiddlet)
- To hide or conceal.
- To take shelter or nestle closely.