hedge

[hej]

noun

1. a row of bushes or small trees planted close together, especially when forming a fence or boundary; hedgerow.

   small fields separated by hedges.

2. any barrier or boundary.

   a hedge of stones.

3. an act or means of preventing complete loss of a bet, an argument, an investment, or the like, with a partially counterbalancing or qualifying one.

verb (used with object)

hedged, hedging 

1. to enclose with or separate by a hedge.

   to hedge a garden.

2. to surround and confine as if with a hedge; restrict (often followed by in, about, etc.).

   He felt hedged in by the rules of language.

3. to protect with qualifications that allow for unstated contingencies or for withdrawal from commitment.

   He hedged his program against attack and then presented it to the board.

4. to mitigate a possible loss by counterbalancing (one's bets, investments, etc.).

5. to prevent or hinder free movement; obstruct.

   to be hedged by poverty.

verb (used without object)

hedged, hedging 

1. to avoid a rigid commitment by qualifying or modifying a position so as to permit withdrawal.

   He felt that he was speaking too boldly and began to hedge before they could contradict him.

   Synonyms: waffle, temporize, delay, stall, evade

2. to prevent complete loss of a bet by betting an additional amount or amounts against the original bet.

3. Finance.,  to enter transactions that will protect against loss through a compensatory price movement.

hedge

/ hɛdʒ /

noun

1. a row of shrubs, bushes, or trees forming a boundary to a field, garden, etc

2. a barrier or protection against something

3. the act or a method of reducing the risk of financial loss on an investment, bet, etc

4. a cautious or evasive statement

5. (modifier; often in combination) low, inferior, or illiterate

   a hedge lawyer

verb

1. (tr) to enclose or separate with or as if with a hedge

2. (intr) to make or maintain a hedge, as by cutting and laying

3. (tr; often foll by in, about, or around) to hinder, obstruct, or restrict

4. (intr) to evade decision or action, esp by making noncommittal statements

5. (tr) to guard against the risk of loss in (a bet, the paying out of a win, etc), esp by laying bets with other bookmakers

6. (intr) to protect against financial loss through future price fluctuations, as by investing in futures

Other Word Forms

• hedgeless adjective
• unhedge verb (used with object)
• unhedged adjective
• well-hedged adjective
• hedgy adjective
• hedging noun
• hedger noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hedge¹

before 900; Middle English, Old English hegge; cognate with Dutch heg, German Hecke hedge, Old Norse heggr bird cherry

Word History and Origins

Origin of hedge¹

Old English hecg; related to Old High German heckia, Middle Dutch hegge; see _haw ¹

Example Sentences

It hints at the trend of hedge fund managers buying local publications to drain them until they’re husks of their former selves.

From Salon

“This Labor Day we will continue to stand strong, fighting for public schools over private profits, healthcare over hedge funds, shared prosperity over billionaire-bought politics.”

From Los Angeles Times

It's still hot in many parts of the UK, but some tree leaves are turning yellow and blackberries are so ripe in hedges that they're tasting alcoholic.

From BBC

She blames the ongoing implementation of the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act as well as “bad actors,” including hedge funds and other outside investors that are among the region’s major water users.

From Los Angeles Times

We look over the hedges quite often just to see the sheep.

From BBC

Related Words

• fudge 
• sidestep 
• waffle