Hide
Definition and meaning of Hide in real estate.
A hide is an historical English unit of land measurement, traditionally defined as the amount of land necessary to support one free family, typically estimated at 120 acres.
In more detail
This term originated in Anglo-Saxon England and was used for tax assessment purposes, notably appearing in the Domesday Book. While it has no legal or official standing in modern US real estate transactions, it occasionally appears in historical property deeds, legal research, or discussions of land-use history.
The actual physical size of a hide varied greatly by region and soil quality, as more fertile land required fewer acres to support a household than poor soil did. Modern real estate professionals and land buyers use standard units like acres or square feet instead.
However, understanding historic terms like the hide provides valuable context when researching the chain of title for very old properties.
Key facts
| Category | Property Types & Construction |
|---|---|
| Historical equivalent | Typically 120 acres, but varied by region |
| Origin | Medieval English tax and land system |
| Modern relevance | Historic deeds and legal research only |
A researcher studying colonial land grants in Virginia finds a document from the seventeenth century that refers to a plantation measuring three hides of land.
Frequently asked questions
Is the hide used in modern US real estate?
No, the hide is obsolete and is never used in modern legal descriptions or real estate transactions in the United States.
Why did the size of a hide vary?
Because it was based on agricultural productivity and the ability to support a family, a hide of fertile valley land was physically smaller than a hide of rocky hill country.