Hedge

[hedʒ] or [hɛdʒ]

Definition

(noun.) a fence formed by a row of closely planted shrubs or bushes.

(noun.) an intentionally noncommittal or ambiguous statement; 'when you say `maybe' you are just hedging'.

(noun.) any technique designed to reduce or eliminate financial risk; for example, taking two positions that will offset each other if prices change.

(verb.) minimize loss or risk; 'diversify your financial portfolio to hedge price risks'; 'hedge your bets'.

(verb.) avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues); 'He dodged the issue'; 'she skirted the problem'; 'They tend to evade their responsibilities'; 'he evaded the questions skillfully'.

(verb.) enclose or bound in with or as it with a hedge or hedges; 'hedge the property'.

(verb.) hinder or restrict with or as if with a hedge; 'The animals were hedged in'.

Edited by Leah--From WordNet

Definition

(n.) A thicket of bushes, usually thorn bushes; especially, such a thicket planted as a fence between any two portions of land; and also any sort of shrubbery, as evergreens, planted in a line or as a fence; particularly, such a thicket planted round a field to fence it, or in rows to separate the parts of a garden.

(v. t.) To inclose or separate with a hedge; to fence with a thickly set line or thicket of shrubs or small trees; as, to hedge a field or garden.

(v. t.) To obstruct, as a road, with a barrier; to hinder from progress or success; -- sometimes with up and out.

(v. t.) To surround for defense; to guard; to protect; to hem (in).

(v. t.) To surround so as to prevent escape.

(v. i.) To shelter one's self from danger, risk, duty, responsibility, etc., as if by hiding in or behind a hedge; to skulk; to slink; to shirk obligations.

(v. i.) To reduce the risk of a wager by making a bet against the side or chance one has bet on.

(v. i.) To use reservations and qualifications in one's speech so as to avoid committing one's self to anything definite.

Typist: Shelby

Synonyms and Synonymous

n. Fence (of bushes or shrubs), hedge-fence.

v. a. Enclose with a hedge.

Checker: Quincy

Definition

n. a thicket of bushes: a fence round a field &c.: any means of protection.—v.t. to enclose with a hedge: to obstruct: to surround: to guard: to protect one's self from loss by betting on both sides.—v.i. to shuffle: to be shifty: to skulk.—ns. Hedge′bill Hedg′ing-bill a bill or hatchet for dressing hedges.—adj. Hedge′-born of low birth as if born under a hedge or in the woods: low: obscure.—ns. Hedge′bote an old word for the right of a tenant to cut wood on the farm or land for repairing the hedges or fences; Hedge′-creep′er a sneaking rogue; Hedge′hog a small prickly-backed quadruped so called from living in hedges and bushes and its resemblance to a hog or pig; Hedge′hog-plant a species of medick having the pods spirally twisted and rolled up into a ball beset with spines; Hedge′hog-this′tle hedgehog-cactus; Hedge′-hyss′op a European perennial plant of the figwort family with emetic and purgative qualities; Hedge′-knife an instrument for trimming hedges; Hedge′-mar′riage a clandestine marriage; Hedge′-mus′tard a genus of plants of order Crucifer annual or rarely perennial with small yellow or white flowers; Hedge′-note a valueless literary attempt; Hedge′-par′son a mean parson generally illiterate; Hedge′pig (Shak.) a young hedgehog; Hedge′-priest an ignorant itinerant priest; Hedg′er one who dresses hedges; Hedge′row a row of trees or shrubs for hedging fields; Hedge′-school an open-air school kept by the side of a hedge in Ireland; Hedge′-shrew the field-mouse; Hedge′-sparr′ow Hedge′-war′bler a little singing bird like a sparrow which frequents hedges; Hedge′-writ′er a Grub-street author; Hedg′ing the work of a hedger.—adj. Hedg′y.

Typed by Corinne