Result from Foreign Dictionaries (4 entries found)

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Hedge \Hedge\, n. [OE. hegge, AS. hecg; akin to haga an inclosure, E. haw, AS. hege hedge, E. haybote, D. hegge, OHG. hegga, G. hecke. [root]12. See {Haw} a hedge.] 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. [1913 Webster] The roughest berry on the rudest hedge. --Shak. [1913 Webster] Through the verdant maze Of sweetbrier hedges I pursue my walk. --Thomson. [1913 Webster] Note: Hedge, when used adjectively or in composition, often means rustic, outlandish, illiterate, poor, or mean; as, hedge priest; hedgeborn, etc. [1913 Webster] {Hedge bells}, {Hedge bindweed} (Bot.), a climbing plant related to the morning-glory ({Convolvulus sepium}). {Hedge bill}, a long-handled billhook. {Hedge garlic} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Alliaria}. See {Garlic mustard}, under {Garlic}. {Hedge hyssop} (Bot.), a bitter herb of the genus {Gratiola}, the leaves of which are emetic and purgative. {Hedge marriage}, a secret or clandestine marriage, especially one performed by a hedge priest. [Eng.] {Hedge mustard} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Sisymbrium}, belonging to the Mustard family. {Hedge nettle} (Bot.), an herb, or under shrub, of the genus {Stachys}, belonging to the Mint family. It has a nettlelike appearance, though quite harmless. {Hedge note}. (a) The note of a hedge bird. (b) Low, contemptible writing. [Obs.] --Dryden. {Hedge priest}, a poor, illiterate priest. --Shak. {Hedge school}, an open-air school in the shelter of a hedge, in Ireland; a school for rustics. {Hedge sparrow} (Zool.), a European warbler ({Accentor modularis}) which frequents hedges. Its color is reddish brown, and ash; the wing coverts are tipped with white. Called also {chanter}, {hedge warbler}, {dunnock}, and {doney}. {Hedge writer}, an insignificant writer, or a writer of low, scurrilous stuff. [Obs.] --Swift. {To breast up a hedge}. See under {Breast}. {To hang in the hedge}, to be at a standstill. "While the business of money hangs in the hedge." --Pepys. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Hedge \Hedge\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Hedged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Hedging}.] 1. To inclose or separate with a hedge; to fence with a thickly set line or thicket of shrubs or small trees; as, to hedge a field or garden. [1913 Webster] 2. To obstruct, as a road, with a barrier; to hinder from progress or success; -- sometimes with up and out. [1913 Webster] I will hedge up thy way with thorns. --Hos. ii. 6. [1913 Webster] Lollius Urbius . . . drew another wall . . . to hedge out incursions from the north. --Milton. [1913 Webster] 3. To surround for defense; to guard; to protect; to hem (in). "England, hedged in with the main." --Shak. [1913 Webster] 4. To surround so as to prevent escape. [1913 Webster] That is a law to hedge in the cuckoo. --Locke. [1913 Webster] 5. To protect oneself against excessive loss in an activity by taking a countervailing action; as, to hedge an investment denominated in a foreign currency by buying or selling futures in that currency; to hedge a donation to one political party by also donating to the opposed political party. [PJC] {To hedge a bet}, to bet upon both sides; that is, after having bet on one side, to bet also on the other, thus guarding against loss. See hedge[5]. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Hedge \Hedge\, v. i. 1. To shelter one's self from danger, risk, duty, responsibility, etc., as if by hiding in or behind a hedge; to skulk; to slink; to shirk obligations. [1913 Webster] I myself sometimes, leaving the fear of God on the left hand and hiding mine honor in my necessity, am fain to shuffle, to hedge and to lurch. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. (Betting) To reduce the risk of a wager by making a bet against the side or chance one has bet on. [1913 Webster] 3. To use reservations and qualifications in one's speech so as to avoid committing one's self to anything definite. [1913 Webster] The Heroic Stanzas read much more like an elaborate attempt to hedge between the parties than . . . to gain favor from the Roundheads. --Saintsbury. [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: hedge n 1: a fence formed by a row of closely planted shrubs or bushes [syn: {hedge}, {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: {hedge}, {hedging}] 3: an intentionally noncommittal or ambiguous statement; "when you say `maybe' you are just hedging" [syn: {hedge}, {hedging}] v 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: {hedge}, {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}, {hedge in}] 4: minimize loss or risk; "diversify your financial portfolio to hedge price risks"; "hedge your bets"