hiddle

H4I1D2D2L1E1
/ˈhɪdəl/

noun

A hiding-place; a sheltered spot.

OriginScots hiddle ← Middle Scots hiddill ← Early Scots hyddyll →
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Meanings

nounhiddle (plural hiddles)

plural hiddles · alternative hidel · alternative hidle · alternative hiddil · alternative heddle · alternative hydle · alternative hidels · alternative hydles

  1. dialectalA hiding-place; a sheltered spot.
  2. ScotlanddialectalA cluster, small group of buildings, etc. set close together; a huddle.
verbhiddle (third-person singular simple present hiddles, present participle hiddling, simple past and past participle hiddled)

present singular third person hiddles · participle present hiddling · participle past hiddled · past hiddled · alternative hidel · alternative hidle · alternative hiddil · alternative heddle · alternative hydle · alternative hidels · alternative hydles

  1. ScotlandUKdialectaltransitiveTo hide; conceal.
  2. ScotlandUKdialectalintransitiveTo nestle closely; take shelter.
  3. ScotlandUKdialectaltransitiveTo shelter (in one's arms).

Origin

  1. Old Englishhȳdels“a place of concealment, hiding-place, cavern, cave”
  2. Early Scotshyddyll
  3. Middle Scotshiddill
  4. Scotshiddle
  5. Englishhiddle

Borrowed from Scots hiddle, from Middle Scots hiddill, from Early Scots hyddyll, an alteration, due to final s mistaken for the plural ending, of hyddlys (“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 burial, riddle. More at hide, huddle.

More words from Scots, Middle Scots, Early Scots

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

hiddle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hiddle

MLA

“hiddle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hiddle. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hiddle,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hiddle.

Source: hiddle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.