hedge

noun

/hedʒ/

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a row of bushes or small trees planted close together, usually along the edge of a field, garden or road
- a privet hedge
Extra Examples
- Establish which boundary hedges are yours, and which belong to a neighbour.
- Trim the hedge and collect the trimmings.
- a thick hawthorn hedge
Topics Gardensb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- high
- low
- tall
- …
verb + hedge
- plant
- clip
- trim
- …
hedge + noun
- clippings
- trimmings
- trimmer
- …
See full entry
hedge against something a way of protecting yourself against the loss of something, especially money
- I bought gold as a hedge against inflation.

Word OriginOld English hegg, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch heg and German Hecke.

verb

/hedʒ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they hedge	/hedʒ/ /hedʒ/
he / she / it hedges	/ˈhedʒɪz/ /ˈhedʒɪz/
past simple hedged	/hedʒd/ /hedʒd/
past participle hedged	/hedʒd/ /hedʒd/
-ing form hedging	/ˈhedʒɪŋ/ /ˈhedʒɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

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[intransitive] to avoid giving a direct answer to a question or promising to support a particular idea, etc.
- Just answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’—and stop hedging.
[transitive] hedge something to put a hedge around a field, etc.
[transitive, usually passive] (formal) to surround or limit somebody/something
- be hedged (with something) His religious belief was always hedged with doubt.
- be hedged around (with something) Their offer was hedged around with all sorts of conditions.

Word OriginOld English hegg, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch heg and German Hecke.

Idioms

hedge your bets

to reduce the risk of losing or making a mistake by supporting more than one side in a competition, an argument, etc., or by having several choices available to you
- She hedged her bets by applying for various other jobs as well.
Topics Preferences and decisionsc2, Opinion and argumentc2