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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.
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The roughest berry on the rudest hedge. --Shak.
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Through the verdant maze
Of sweetbrier hedges I pursue my walk. --Thomson.
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Note: Hedge, when used adjectively or in composition, often
means rustic, outlandish, illiterate, poor, or mean;
as, hedge priest; hedgeborn, etc.
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{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.
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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.
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2. To obstruct, as a road, with a barrier; to hinder from
progress or success; -- sometimes with up and out.
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I will hedge up thy way with thorns. --Hos. ii. 6.
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Lollius Urbius . . . drew another wall . . . to
hedge out incursions from the north. --Milton.
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3. To surround for defense; to guard; to protect; to hem
(in). "England, hedged in with the main." --Shak.
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4. To surround so as to prevent escape.
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That is a law to hedge in the cuckoo. --Locke.
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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.
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{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].
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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.
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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.
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2. (Betting) To reduce the risk of a wager by making a bet
against the side or chance one has bet on.
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3. To use reservations and qualifications in one's speech so
as to avoid committing one's self to anything definite.
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The Heroic Stanzas read much more like an elaborate
attempt to hedge between the parties than . . . to
gain favor from the Roundheads. --Saintsbury.
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