hedge

1 a fence formed by a row of closely planted shrubs or bushes [syn: hedgerow]

2 any technique designed to reduce or eliminate financial risk; for example, taking two positions that will offset each other if prices change [syn: hedging]

3 an intentionally noncommittal or ambiguous statement; "when you say `maybe' you are just hedging" [syn: hedging]

1 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" [syn: fudge, evade, put off, circumvent, parry, elude, skirt, dodge, duck, sidestep]

2 hinder or restrict with or as if with a hedge; "The animals were hedged in"

3 enclose or bound in with or as it with a hedge or hedges; "hedge the property" [syn: hedge in]

4 minimize loss or risk; "diversify your financial portfolio to hedge price risks"; "hedge your bets"

English

Pronunciation

• hĕj, /hedʒ/, /hedZ/
• Rhymes: -ɛdʒ

Noun

1. 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.

   He trims the hedge once a week.

2. Contract or arrangement reducing one's exposure to risk (for example the risk of price movements or interest rate movements).

   The asset class acts as a hedge.

3. Used attributively, with figurative indication of a person's upbringing, or professional activities, taking place by the side of the road; third-rate.

Derived terms

• hedge alehouse
• hedge doctor
• hedge poet
• hedge priest
• hedge school
• hedge schoolmaster

Translations

Verb

1. To stonewall; to avoid answering question.

   Please stop hedging and just answer my question!

Derived terms

• hedge one's bets

The word hedge may be used to refer to:

• hedge (barrier) or hedgerow, a line of closely spaced shrubs planted to act as a barrier
• hedge (finance) in gambling or finance is an investment made to reduce loss
• Hedge (linguistics) in linguistics are intentionally non-committal or ambiguous sentence fragments, such as "sort of", "kind of", "like".

See also

• Hedgerow removal
• Hedge fund

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