Hidey

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small secret spot where someone can go to conceal themselves or stash something away from view
2. An informal name for a concealed place, such as a nook or cubbyhole, used to keep out of sight
3. A snug, out-of-the-way retreat that a person uses to avoid being seen or found by others

Etymology: "Hidey-hole" is the full form, and "hidey" is its shortened version: a clipping of "hidey-hole," meaning a secret hiding place. The "hidey" part comes from the verb "hide" with the diminutive or playful "-y" ending, the same kind of formation as "sunny" or "Johnny," so the phrase reads as a cosy, childlike version of "hiding place." The "hole" in the older phrase is the element with the longer history. English has used "hole" for a small cavity or refuge since Old English, and it was often applied to a den or burrow where an animal or person could retreat. "Hidey-hole" appears in English in the 19th century, with the playful -y suffix doing the work of making a hiding spot sound like a small secret den. The shortened "hidey" is largely a later, informal development, mostly used in spoken or casual writing and in the phrase "hidey-hole." Its exact date of first use as a standalone noun is uncertain, so the safest account is that it grew out of the longer compound rather than the other way round.

Synonyms: hideout, hideaway, hiding place