hedge
/hedʒ/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A row of small bushes or plants grown close together to form a boundary. It can also be a fence made from these plants.
- They trimmed the hedge this morning.
- The garden is surrounded by a tall hedge.
verb
To protect yourself from risk by keeping other options open or by reducing possible loss. It is often used in finance and business.
- She hedged her bets by applying to three colleges.
- The company hedged against currency changes.
Adinary Nuance
A hedge is about protection or safety, not just choosing carefully. Compared with fence, it is often a living boundary made of plants. As a verb, it is close to guard against or reduce risk, but hedge is more common in finance and business.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- hàng rào cây
- Spanish
- seto
- Chinese
- 树篱
- Japanese
- 生け垣
- Korean
- 울타리
Etymology
Old English hadg or hegge, meaning a fence or boundary. The verb sense developed later from the idea of surrounding or protecting something.
Common phrases
a hedge against inflationhedge your betstrim the hedgea tall hedge
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is hedge a noun or a verb?
- It is both. As a noun, it means a row of bushes or a boundary. As a verb, it means to reduce risk or avoid a direct choice.
- What is the difference between hedge and fence?
- A fence is usually made from wood, metal, or wire. A hedge is a fence-like boundary made of plants.
- What does hedge your bets mean?
- It means to keep more than one option open so you do not lose everything if one choice fails.
- Is hedge common in business English?
- Yes. People often say hedge against risk, inflation, or currency changes.