hedge

== English == === Pronunciation === enPR: hĕj (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada, Scotland, India) IPA(key): /hɛd͡ʒ/ (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /hed͡ʒ/ Rhymes: -ɛdʒ Hyphenation: hedge === Etymology 1 === From Middle English hegge, from Old English heċġ, from Proto-West Germanic *haggju, from Proto-Germanic *hagjō, from Proto-Indo-European *kagʰyóm (“enclosure”). Cognate with Dutch heg, German Hecke. Doublet of hey (a choreographic figure) and quay. More at haw. ==== Noun ==== hedge (plural hedges) A thicket of bushes or other shrubbery, especially one planted as a fence between two portions of land, or to separate the parts of a garden. He trims the hedge once a week. A barrier (often consisting of a line of persons or objects) to protect someone or something from harm. (UK, West Country, chiefly Devon and Cornwall) A mound of earth, stone- or turf-faced, often topped with bushes, used as a fence between any two portions of land. (linguistics, especially applied linguistics and pragmatics) A noncommittal or intentionally ambiguous statement. Coordinate term: weasel word (finance) Contract or arrangement reducing one's exposure to risk (for example the risk of price movements or interest rate movements). Coordinate term: diversification The asset class acts as a hedge. (UK, Ireland, attributive, figurative) With indication of a person's upbringing, or professional activities, taking place by the side of the road; third-rate, poor, shoddy. , Folio Society 1973, p.639: ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === Inherited from Middle English heggen, from the noun (see above). ==== Verb ==== hedge (third-person singular simple present hedges, present participle hedging, simple past and past participle hedged) (transitive) To enclose with a hedge or hedges. to hedge a field or garden (transitive) To obstruct or surround. (transitive, finance) To offset the risk associated with. (ambitransitive) To avoid verbal commitment. Synonyms: parry, shuffle He carefully hedged his statements with weasel words. (intransitive) To construct or repair a hedge. (intransitive, finance) To reduce one's exposure to risk. Coordinate term: diversify ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Further reading === hedge on Wikipedia.Wikipedia The Investopedia Team; Scott, Gordon; Rathburn, Pete (20 November 2003), “Hedge: Definition and How It Works in Investing”, in Investopedia‎[1] (encyclopedia), People Inc., archived from the original on 20 May 2025 “hedge”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. === Anagrams === Ghede, Hegde == Middle English == === Noun === hedge alternative form of hegge