hedge
hedge Lexical Profile
hedge Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A fence or boundary formed by closely growing bushes or shrubs.
"The gardener spent the morning trimming the tall boxwood hedge along the driveway."
A strategy, investment, or means of protection against financial loss or other adverse circumstances.
"Many investors purchase gold as a traditional hedge against inflation."
A word, phrase, or statement used to avoid making a definite commitment or to soften a claim.
"His speech was full of cautious hedges that left voters unsure of his actual policy positions."
• verb
To avoid making a definite statement, promise, or decision.
"When asked directly whether she would run for reelection, the senator began to hedge."
To protect oneself against financial loss on an investment or bet by making compensating transactions on the other side.
"The airline decided to hedge against rising fuel costs by locking in long-term supply contracts."
To surround, enclose, or bound with a barrier of shrubs or bushes, or to restrict freedom of action.
"The ancient stone cottage was hedged in by dense hawthorn bushes on three sides."
• Rhymes for hedge
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English hecg, meaning an enclosure or fence made of bushes or stakes, derived from Proto-Germanic *hagjo. The figurative senses of protecting oneself against financial loss and evading direct commitment emerged in the 17th century from the idea of hiding behind or securing a physical barrier.