Hashing is a technique for implementing dictionaries that provides constant time per operation on average. It works by using a hash function to map keys to positions in a hash table. Ideally, an element with key k would be stored at position h(k). However, collisions can occur if multiple keys map to the same position. When a collision occurs, the element is stored in the next available empty position. Searching for an element involves computing its hash value to locate its position, and searching linearly if a collision is encountered. Deletion requires marking deleted positions as empty rather than truly empty to avoid interfering with searches.