| 释义 |
Definition of hedge in English: hedgenoun hɛdʒhɛdʒ 1A fence or boundary formed by closely growing bushes or shrubs. Example sentencesExamples - As the hedge grows, prune the sides so the bottom is slightly wider than the top to prevent the upper limbs from shading the lower ones.
- A good starting point is to install large, specimen trees, hedges, hard landscaping, and water features or to buy a couple of beautiful ceramic or terracotta pots.
- A few deciduous bushes make nice hedges, although many look best grown informally rather than sheared.
- Tall shrubs, hedges, or vine-covered fences make a detached patio private.
- Due to changes in farming methods over the years, many sources for food and nesting places have been lost but gardens with shrubs, hedges and fruit trees go some way to filling the gaps.
- The best thing about my cave, however, is that it's hidden behind a hedge of red bushes, so the curious tourist or hiker is very unlikely to find it.
- Dressed in black (how obvious) the person was creeping toward the house, ducking behind bushes and hedges.
- They'll replant the hedges and grow insanely expensive vegetables for fun.
- Lily and tulip bulbs can go into the garden as can deciduous trees, climbers, shrubs and hedges, roses and fruit trees, bushes and canes.
- Houses, fences, and hedges can act as dams that block wind, causing cold pockets (whenever air stagnates, temperatures drop).
- I've heard it used to describe the man-made features such as walls, paths, arbors, hedges, and fences that divide the garden into different areas.
- Soon the conifer area, which alone holds 1,000 species of spruce, and the hedge and shrub area become visible.
- Prune shrubs in a formal hedge to resemble a dense, smooth wall.
- As I move away, the incredible house with its dazzling colours disappears again behind the hedge and the bushes, invisible to the outside world.
- For added protection from cats, locate the bath out in the open, at least 10 feet from escape cover such as a hedge or shrubs.
- High walls, fences, thorny hedges and bushes can all put off burglars but make sure the front of your home is visible to passers-by
- The list below shows shrubs used in formal hedges that respond well to frequent or heavy pruning.
- They tend to be big, bold shrubs, well adapted to use as a flowering hedge or windbreak, or for planting at the back of a flower border.
- Similar to grass shears, only longer, this tool is useful for trimming shrubs and hedges.
- Unfortunately, he falls into the hedge immediately behind the fence.
Synonyms hedgerow, row of bushes, fence windbreak, barrier, barricade, boundary British quickset 2A way of protecting oneself against financial loss or other adverse circumstances. index-linked gilts are a useful hedge against inflation Example sentencesExamples - Traditionally, gold has been coveted as a safe harbor in times of distress and a hedge against inflation.
- The savings ratio is also influenced by inflation (rising prices), because people feel a greater need to save as a hedge against higher inflation.
- They also view the credits as a hedge against even tighter restrictions in the future.
- Indeed, building robust connections with users is the best hedge against adversity.
- This option provides an income stream for life, which is an effective hedge against outliving your retirement income.
- With recovery comes inflation, with gold a natural hedge against rising prices.
- Also, putting these extras where they show to best advantage provided a good hedge against the financial risk of building a home from scratch.
- They also wanted something that would provide a hedge against inflation.
- Holding precious metals was always viewed as a hedge against a runup in inflation.
- In his view, companies keep inventory as a hedge against poor demand forecasts and an inability to see into their supply chains.
- Experts nevertheless recommend that sophisticated investors have some gold in their portfolio not only as a hedge against inflation, but also as a way to control risk.
- He also knows - and if he doesn't he should - that geographical diversity in a pension portfolio is an essential hedge against harder times at home.
- The indices also reveal that art can be a poor hedge against inflation over short periods.
- So, as beautiful as the yellow metal might be, gold is neither a hedge against inflation nor a protection against uncertainty.
- The art market grew during the 20 years preceding the Civil War, then boomed as investors sought art as a hedge against inflation.
- Back then, gold was presumed to be the only hedge against both inflation and a falling dollar.
- This is because gold is seen as a hedge against the US currency.
- Diversifying your portfolio is a hedge against the down times.
- Secondly, the difference involved is meant to act as a partial hedge against fluctuations in currencies.
- And, of course, some companies are mitigating losses through currency hedges.
Synonyms safeguard, protection, shield, screen, guard, buffer, cushion cover, insurance, security, provision, insurance cover 3A word or phrase used to avoid overprecise commitment, for example etc., often, or sometimes. Example sentencesExamples - People believe that directness is rude and use a variety of euphemisms and hedges to avoid it.
- The presence of a hedge provides information regarding whether a student answer is right or wrong.
Synonyms equivocation, evasion, fudge, quibble, qualification, qualifying expression temporizing, uncertainty, prevarication, vagueness
verb hɛdʒhɛdʒ [with object]1Surround with a hedge. Example sentencesExamples - But the further south I got in England, the more the land was fenced in and hedged off.
- At the junction of these roads was a fairly large field hedged all round.
- The floor area is shortly to be fenced to a height of three feet, then hedged and landscaped and when completed will be only facility of its kind in football and hopefully used for the promotion of the game in local schools.
Synonyms surround, enclose, encircle, circle, ring, border, edge, bound literary gird, girdle, engird - 1.1hedge something in Enclose something.
the cathedral is closely hedged in by other buildings Example sentencesExamples - Are you hedged in for privacy or open for all the world to see?
- Dated 10 November 1918, it shows the artist hedged in by the surrounding objects in his studio, as he stands, as though trapped, behind the back of his easel and looks across the darkness at his mirror image.
- When I approached the town I discovered that gardens and orchards hedged it in.
- And anyway, it will be hedged in with get-out clauses about affordability.
Synonyms confine, enclose, impound, shut up, pen, pen in, pen up, fence in, hedge in confine, enclose, impound, pen, pen in, pen up, fence in, hedge in
2Limit or qualify (something) by conditions or exceptions. they hedged their story about with provisos Example sentencesExamples - Why are you all hedging this support on constitutional reform?
- The climate change debate is hedged by uncertainties.
- Even scientists optimistic about the future have hedged their predictions with warnings.
- But they hedge their predictions that there will be a global economic upturn some time later next year.
- That, says my editor, is an unacceptable cop-out: your readers are entitled to your views, even if they are carefully hedged with all these warnings.
- Moreover, the exemptions are placed on a clear statutory footing and are hedged with appropriate safeguards.
- Barely a week later, it is reported that the Government has ‘buckled to pressure from the green movement’, and hedged its commitment to these technologies once more.
- A formal procedure hedged with safeguards would protect doctors from criminal prosecution.
Synonyms confine, restrict, limit, hinder, obstruct, impede, constrain, trap hem in, shut in, close, keep within bounds - 2.1no object Avoid making a definite statement or commitment.
he hedged at every new question Example sentencesExamples - We note too that his pronouncements are hedged with bureaucratic justification.
- Then he wanted me to tell him what was up, I hedged saying I didn't want to talk about it over the phone.
- Students hedge and apologize often to human tutors, but very rarely to computer tutors.
- He added: ‘Perhaps you hedged on this, so as to avoid giving the directors of intelligence too much detailed information.’
- He hedged his statements in a way that suggested ignorance or cowardice.
- He hedges a little but you can tell; this is his last year all right.
- No details were given, and Potter hedged his words carefully in a call with analysts.
- I mean, you're even hedging on whether this was a murder?
- Although Bernstein hedged a bit in the media center when asked if this time was really his last, if it was, it was a heck of a way to go out.
- Note that we're not hedging that statement - it will happen.
- Many times throughout the article, he carefully hedged his statements.
- Under a storm of protest, Sontag at first hedged and then eventually dodged the issue.
- Treason is a difficult one to actually get a conviction on, so I think that's why they are hedging away from that.
- Women hedge answers more often than men in tutoring interactions.
- She still hedges a bit on her command responsibility, but I think she actually acquitted herself quite well in this online discussion.
- ‘I've been busy,’ I hedged, trying to avoid eye contact.
Synonyms avoid, not give a straight answer to, dodge, sidestep, bypass, fence, fend off, parry, skirt round, fudge, quibble about, be equivocal about, be evasive about
3Protect oneself against loss on (a bet or investment) by making balancing or compensating transactions. the company hedged its investment position on the futures market no object the depth of the Treasury futures market makes it a popular place to hedge against adverse market swings Example sentencesExamples - It's also a leader in complex derivatives that allow others to hedge against the risk of fluctuating commodities prices.
- I prefer to own these bonds in equal parts to hedge against a loss in the value of the U.S. dollar.
- This swap would be expected to hedge against the rising financing cost of their short term debt.
- But you need to spread you portfolio to hedge against a fall in the stock market.
- But how can investors hedge against rising commodity prices?
- While we'd like to keep as much money as possible in the business to hedge against a downturn, we find that we're hindered by our corporate form and tax status.
- Gold is being used as an investment to hedge against US dollar uncertainty.
- Not all problems are soluble, not all risks can be hedged at acceptable cost.
- They are a good way for conservative investors to hedge against inflation as they guarantee the face value of the investment over a set period of time and provide a small income.
- In other words, investors hedge one investment by making another.
- Also, net non-local currency cashflows must be hedged for a 12-month period.
- ‘All currency exposure outside the eurozone is hedged,’ he said.
- Currency exposure can be hedged, but it costs money - enough, in many cases, to make the trade unprofitable.
- Private investors can reduce the risks created by a weak dollar by hedging their currency exposure.
- And of course, we benefited from the upside in the gold price, but not as significant as one would have expected, because as you know, we are heavily hedged.
- It was insulated to much of the increase as it had hedged its jet fuel requirement at lower prices and would continue to do so again this year.
- Options are a great way to hedge against your existing positions to decrease risk.
- Taking into account the worst scenario of a further rise in property prices, is there any kind of investment that I can hedge against this with my cash after the sale?
- The forward market, used to hedge holdings in the currency, indicates the same.
- Having hedged its fuel bill for the winter, which should keep costs under control, the airline is monitoring whether to continue hedging for the summer.
Synonyms safeguard, protect, shield, guard, cushion, cover, insure, take out insurance, take out insurance cover
Phrases Avoid committing oneself when faced with a difficult choice. they hedged their bets by saying they might apply Example sentencesExamples - How then can one avoid this risk and hedge one's bets?
- And, indeed, you were hedging your bets at one point, weren't you, in the Minnesota case?
- If you look carefully inside the present museum, what you see is that we hedged our bets and made a number of different reconstructions from semi-subterranean through to various larger and taller buildings.
- Some clan chiefs hedged their bets and sent sons off to fight on opposing sides.
- Some are hedging their bets on the Times’ hyped self-examination.
- We have existing laws on the books, but I think many criminals are kind of hedging their bets by thinking they either won't get caught, or the system will be so slow that it will work to their favor.
- It's evident that city leaders past and present have hedged their bets on entertainment districts.
- Yet it was almost as if they were hedging their bets, saying something about this player in this game that they could say again about someone else in the next game, three days later.
- But hiring has been so slow and most economists have been so wrong on this issue that some are now hedging their bets.
- Punters were hedging their bets as more than 300 birds flew for a prize of £20,000 in The Royal Pigeon Racing Association's jubilee race.
- But I expect wealthy buyers will be hedging their bets before long.
- And like me, it's a safe bet that you read with fingers in multiple pages, hedging your bets.
- A further 18% hedged their bets, saying prices would remain stable.
- And prudence is not the art of hedging your bets.
- And they hedge their bets by avoiding specific predictions for how long it will take to colonize this or that planet, or to travel to this or that star.
- But to hedge your bets, you bet the other way as well.
- They are simply hedging their bets, forming a relationship with you early on, in a competitive industry and punting on your future success.
- Maybe they're hedging their bets about further defections.
- Well, maybe not; maybe it's far too early to even talk about hedging their bets.
- No one knows at this point in time who that next ‘leader’ will be, and many are hedging their bets.
Synonyms prevaricate, equivocate, vacillate, quibble, hesitate, stall, evade the issue, dodge the issue, fudge the issue, sidestep the issue, be non-committal, be evasive, be indecisive, be vague, hedge one's bets, beat about the bush, parry questions, pussyfoot around, mince one's words, shilly-shally
Derivatives noun ˈhɛdʒəˈhɛdʒər By selling such instruments and transferring the risk into their own books, banks are risk hedgers and traders - with a view to making a profit. Example sentencesExamples - His parents were hedgers and ditchers and brought up their son to the same occupation.
- Tending to be high risk, high return investment tools that remain largely unexploited in investment strategies, warrants are also an attractive option for speculators and hedgers.
- It's not the hedgers stopping the gold advance.
- Today, virtually all major producers, refiners, cash traders, and end-users hedge and/or contract with hedgers to manage risks.
- Similarly, because the contract specifies a New York Harbor delivery location, many unleaded gasoline long hedgers will exit the market prior to the expiration month.
- For example, in 1997 hedgers were responsible for bringing an extra 470 tonnes ‘supply’ to the table.
Origin Old English hegg, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch heg and German Hecke. Hedges mark boundaries, but are also a means of protection or defence. The idea of protecting yourself is strong in to hedge your bets. In strict betting terms this means putting money on more than one horse in a race, but you can also hedge other financial liabilities, including speculative investments. Originally people would hedge in a bet. This is related to an earlier application of hedge in, in which debts were incorporated into a larger debt for which better security was available. Much more recently, in the 1960s, hedge fund became the term for an offshore investment fund that engages in speculation using credit or borrowed capital.
Rhymes allege, dredge, edge, fledge, kedge, ledge, pledge, reg, sedge, sledge, veg, wedge Definition of hedge in US English: hedgenounhɛdʒhej 1A fence or boundary formed by closely growing bushes or shrubs. she was standing barefoot in a corner of the lawn, trimming the hedge Example sentencesExamples - They tend to be big, bold shrubs, well adapted to use as a flowering hedge or windbreak, or for planting at the back of a flower border.
- As the hedge grows, prune the sides so the bottom is slightly wider than the top to prevent the upper limbs from shading the lower ones.
- Dressed in black (how obvious) the person was creeping toward the house, ducking behind bushes and hedges.
- They'll replant the hedges and grow insanely expensive vegetables for fun.
- A few deciduous bushes make nice hedges, although many look best grown informally rather than sheared.
- Due to changes in farming methods over the years, many sources for food and nesting places have been lost but gardens with shrubs, hedges and fruit trees go some way to filling the gaps.
- Soon the conifer area, which alone holds 1,000 species of spruce, and the hedge and shrub area become visible.
- Lily and tulip bulbs can go into the garden as can deciduous trees, climbers, shrubs and hedges, roses and fruit trees, bushes and canes.
- I've heard it used to describe the man-made features such as walls, paths, arbors, hedges, and fences that divide the garden into different areas.
- A good starting point is to install large, specimen trees, hedges, hard landscaping, and water features or to buy a couple of beautiful ceramic or terracotta pots.
- Prune shrubs in a formal hedge to resemble a dense, smooth wall.
- High walls, fences, thorny hedges and bushes can all put off burglars but make sure the front of your home is visible to passers-by
- For added protection from cats, locate the bath out in the open, at least 10 feet from escape cover such as a hedge or shrubs.
- Tall shrubs, hedges, or vine-covered fences make a detached patio private.
- The best thing about my cave, however, is that it's hidden behind a hedge of red bushes, so the curious tourist or hiker is very unlikely to find it.
- The list below shows shrubs used in formal hedges that respond well to frequent or heavy pruning.
- Similar to grass shears, only longer, this tool is useful for trimming shrubs and hedges.
- Houses, fences, and hedges can act as dams that block wind, causing cold pockets (whenever air stagnates, temperatures drop).
- As I move away, the incredible house with its dazzling colours disappears again behind the hedge and the bushes, invisible to the outside world.
- Unfortunately, he falls into the hedge immediately behind the fence.
Synonyms hedgerow, row of bushes, fence - 1.1 A contract entered into or asset held as a protection against possible financial loss.
inflation hedges such as real estate and gold Example sentencesExamples - The art market grew during the 20 years preceding the Civil War, then boomed as investors sought art as a hedge against inflation.
- Back then, gold was presumed to be the only hedge against both inflation and a falling dollar.
- He also knows - and if he doesn't he should - that geographical diversity in a pension portfolio is an essential hedge against harder times at home.
- In his view, companies keep inventory as a hedge against poor demand forecasts and an inability to see into their supply chains.
- With recovery comes inflation, with gold a natural hedge against rising prices.
- They also view the credits as a hedge against even tighter restrictions in the future.
- Traditionally, gold has been coveted as a safe harbor in times of distress and a hedge against inflation.
- Diversifying your portfolio is a hedge against the down times.
- The savings ratio is also influenced by inflation (rising prices), because people feel a greater need to save as a hedge against higher inflation.
- Experts nevertheless recommend that sophisticated investors have some gold in their portfolio not only as a hedge against inflation, but also as a way to control risk.
- And, of course, some companies are mitigating losses through currency hedges.
- Holding precious metals was always viewed as a hedge against a runup in inflation.
- The indices also reveal that art can be a poor hedge against inflation over short periods.
- They also wanted something that would provide a hedge against inflation.
- This is because gold is seen as a hedge against the US currency.
- This option provides an income stream for life, which is an effective hedge against outliving your retirement income.
- So, as beautiful as the yellow metal might be, gold is neither a hedge against inflation nor a protection against uncertainty.
- Also, putting these extras where they show to best advantage provided a good hedge against the financial risk of building a home from scratch.
- Secondly, the difference involved is meant to act as a partial hedge against fluctuations in currencies.
- Indeed, building robust connections with users is the best hedge against adversity.
Synonyms safeguard, protection, shield, screen, guard, buffer, cushion - 1.2 A word or phrase used to allow for additional possibilities or to avoid commitment, for example, etc., often, usually, or sometimes.
Example sentencesExamples - People believe that directness is rude and use a variety of euphemisms and hedges to avoid it.
- The presence of a hedge provides information regarding whether a student answer is right or wrong.
Synonyms equivocation, evasion, fudge, quibble, qualification, qualifying expression
verbhɛdʒhej [with object]1Surround or bound with a hedge. a garden hedged with yews Example sentencesExamples - The floor area is shortly to be fenced to a height of three feet, then hedged and landscaped and when completed will be only facility of its kind in football and hopefully used for the promotion of the game in local schools.
- But the further south I got in England, the more the land was fenced in and hedged off.
- At the junction of these roads was a fairly large field hedged all round.
Synonyms surround, enclose, encircle, circle, ring, border, edge, bound - 1.1hedge something in Enclose something.
Example sentencesExamples - Are you hedged in for privacy or open for all the world to see?
- When I approached the town I discovered that gardens and orchards hedged it in.
- Dated 10 November 1918, it shows the artist hedged in by the surrounding objects in his studio, as he stands, as though trapped, behind the back of his easel and looks across the darkness at his mirror image.
- And anyway, it will be hedged in with get-out clauses about affordability.
Synonyms confine, enclose, impound, shut up, pen, pen in, pen up, fence in, hedge in confine, enclose, impound, pen, pen in, pen up, fence in, hedge in
2Limit or qualify (something) by conditions or exceptions. experts usually hedge their predictions, just in case Example sentencesExamples - The climate change debate is hedged by uncertainties.
- Barely a week later, it is reported that the Government has ‘buckled to pressure from the green movement’, and hedged its commitment to these technologies once more.
- A formal procedure hedged with safeguards would protect doctors from criminal prosecution.
- Moreover, the exemptions are placed on a clear statutory footing and are hedged with appropriate safeguards.
- Even scientists optimistic about the future have hedged their predictions with warnings.
- But they hedge their predictions that there will be a global economic upturn some time later next year.
- Why are you all hedging this support on constitutional reform?
- That, says my editor, is an unacceptable cop-out: your readers are entitled to your views, even if they are carefully hedged with all these warnings.
Synonyms confine, restrict, limit, hinder, obstruct, impede, constrain, trap - 2.1no object Avoid making a definite decision, statement, or commitment.
she hedged around the one question she wanted to ask Example sentencesExamples - I mean, you're even hedging on whether this was a murder?
- She still hedges a bit on her command responsibility, but I think she actually acquitted herself quite well in this online discussion.
- Although Bernstein hedged a bit in the media center when asked if this time was really his last, if it was, it was a heck of a way to go out.
- He added: ‘Perhaps you hedged on this, so as to avoid giving the directors of intelligence too much detailed information.’
- Note that we're not hedging that statement - it will happen.
- Under a storm of protest, Sontag at first hedged and then eventually dodged the issue.
- ‘I've been busy,’ I hedged, trying to avoid eye contact.
- Then he wanted me to tell him what was up, I hedged saying I didn't want to talk about it over the phone.
- Women hedge answers more often than men in tutoring interactions.
- No details were given, and Potter hedged his words carefully in a call with analysts.
- We note too that his pronouncements are hedged with bureaucratic justification.
- He hedges a little but you can tell; this is his last year all right.
- Many times throughout the article, he carefully hedged his statements.
- Students hedge and apologize often to human tutors, but very rarely to computer tutors.
- He hedged his statements in a way that suggested ignorance or cowardice.
- Treason is a difficult one to actually get a conviction on, so I think that's why they are hedging away from that.
Synonyms avoid, not give a straight answer to, dodge, sidestep, bypass, fence, fend off, parry, skirt round, fudge, quibble about, be equivocal about, be evasive about
3Protect oneself against loss on (a bet or investment) by making balancing or compensating transactions. the company hedged its investment position on the futures market Example sentencesExamples - But how can investors hedge against rising commodity prices?
- It was insulated to much of the increase as it had hedged its jet fuel requirement at lower prices and would continue to do so again this year.
- It's also a leader in complex derivatives that allow others to hedge against the risk of fluctuating commodities prices.
- Taking into account the worst scenario of a further rise in property prices, is there any kind of investment that I can hedge against this with my cash after the sale?
- They are a good way for conservative investors to hedge against inflation as they guarantee the face value of the investment over a set period of time and provide a small income.
- Having hedged its fuel bill for the winter, which should keep costs under control, the airline is monitoring whether to continue hedging for the summer.
- This swap would be expected to hedge against the rising financing cost of their short term debt.
- Private investors can reduce the risks created by a weak dollar by hedging their currency exposure.
- And of course, we benefited from the upside in the gold price, but not as significant as one would have expected, because as you know, we are heavily hedged.
- Also, net non-local currency cashflows must be hedged for a 12-month period.
- While we'd like to keep as much money as possible in the business to hedge against a downturn, we find that we're hindered by our corporate form and tax status.
- Currency exposure can be hedged, but it costs money - enough, in many cases, to make the trade unprofitable.
- I prefer to own these bonds in equal parts to hedge against a loss in the value of the U.S. dollar.
- In other words, investors hedge one investment by making another.
- The forward market, used to hedge holdings in the currency, indicates the same.
- ‘All currency exposure outside the eurozone is hedged,’ he said.
- Not all problems are soluble, not all risks can be hedged at acceptable cost.
- But you need to spread you portfolio to hedge against a fall in the stock market.
- Gold is being used as an investment to hedge against US dollar uncertainty.
- Options are a great way to hedge against your existing positions to decrease risk.
Synonyms safeguard, protect, shield, guard, cushion, cover, insure, take out insurance, take out insurance cover
Phrases Avoid committing oneself when faced with a difficult choice. Example sentencesExamples - And prudence is not the art of hedging your bets.
- And they hedge their bets by avoiding specific predictions for how long it will take to colonize this or that planet, or to travel to this or that star.
- Some are hedging their bets on the Times’ hyped self-examination.
- We have existing laws on the books, but I think many criminals are kind of hedging their bets by thinking they either won't get caught, or the system will be so slow that it will work to their favor.
- But I expect wealthy buyers will be hedging their bets before long.
- Maybe they're hedging their bets about further defections.
- If you look carefully inside the present museum, what you see is that we hedged our bets and made a number of different reconstructions from semi-subterranean through to various larger and taller buildings.
- It's evident that city leaders past and present have hedged their bets on entertainment districts.
- How then can one avoid this risk and hedge one's bets?
- And, indeed, you were hedging your bets at one point, weren't you, in the Minnesota case?
- Punters were hedging their bets as more than 300 birds flew for a prize of £20,000 in The Royal Pigeon Racing Association's jubilee race.
- Yet it was almost as if they were hedging their bets, saying something about this player in this game that they could say again about someone else in the next game, three days later.
- But hiring has been so slow and most economists have been so wrong on this issue that some are now hedging their bets.
- But to hedge your bets, you bet the other way as well.
- No one knows at this point in time who that next ‘leader’ will be, and many are hedging their bets.
- They are simply hedging their bets, forming a relationship with you early on, in a competitive industry and punting on your future success.
- And like me, it's a safe bet that you read with fingers in multiple pages, hedging your bets.
- Well, maybe not; maybe it's far too early to even talk about hedging their bets.
- Some clan chiefs hedged their bets and sent sons off to fight on opposing sides.
- A further 18% hedged their bets, saying prices would remain stable.
Synonyms prevaricate, equivocate, vacillate, quibble, hesitate, stall, evade the issue, dodge the issue, fudge the issue, sidestep the issue, be non-committal, be evasive, be indecisive, be vague, hedge one's bets, beat about the bush, parry questions, pussyfoot around, mince one's words, shilly-shally
Origin Old English hegg, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch heg and German Hecke. |