Hider

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhaɪdə/

Definitions

1. A person or device that keeps something out of sight or obscured from view; an individual who deliberately prevents another from noticing a particular object or themselves; an object designed to provide cover or camouflage, ensuring something remains hidden from observers
2. A being or entity that deliberately keeps oneself or something unseen ; a thing intended to shield or obscure an item from sight
3. An individual who causes themselves or an item to be undetectable or secretive ; an equipment or structure that provides camouflaging cover

Etymology: The word is a plain formation: the verb "hide" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who does the hiding. Its verb ancestor traces back through Old English "hȳdan," from a Proto-Germanic root that also gave rise to the English word "hoard," which is a useful clue to the original sense of concealing or storing away. The suffix has a longer and more tangled path. The "-er" ending descends from Latin "-arius," which passed through Old French "-ier" and entered Middle English as "-er," while Old English already had its own native ending "-ere" doing similar work. The two streams merged into the single English suffix we use today, so "hider" sits where a native Germanic verb meets a Latin-derived agent ending.

Synonyms: concealer, stowaway, sneaker