Hedge
/hɛdʒ/
nounverbB1
Definition
As a noun, a hedge is a line of plants or bushes used to mark the edge of a garden, field, or property. It acts like a natural fence. As a verb, to hedge means to protect yourself from risk by not committing fully or by making safe choices to avoid possible problems.
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See It in Action
Noun: A row of bushes or small trees used as a fence or boundary
- •They planted a hedge around their garden to keep animals out.
- •The hedge between the two houses is very tall.
- •Birds often sit on the hedge in the morning.
Verb: To protect oneself from risk by being cautious or not fully committing
- •She hedged her bets by investing in both stocks and bonds.
- •He hedged his answer to avoid giving a clear opinion.
- •The company hedged against currency loss by using financial tools.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "hedge" like "fence" (A1 word), but made from plants instead of wood or metal
- ✓Picture a green wall of bushes around a garden that keeps animals out or marks a border
- ✓It's the feeling of making a safe choice to avoid losing something important, like covering your options
- ✓Sounds like "hedge" → imagine a small green wall you can jump over carefully, not too high, protecting you
- ✓Think of a farmer planting bushes around fields to protect crops, or an investor making careful money choices
- ✓As a noun, NOT like "wall" (solid, hard), a hedge is softer and natural
- ✓As a verb, NOT like "risk" (taking chances), hedging is about avoiding or lowering risk
- ✓As a verb, NOT like "commit" fully; hedging means being cautious or unsure, keeping options open
Try Other Words
- •Barrier: a physical or metaphorical obstacle (Use when emphasizing blocking or stopping)
- •Protect: to keep safe (Use when focusing on guarding or defense, especially in verb form)
- •Avoid risk: to stay safe from danger or loss (Use when talking about careful decisions)
- •Fence: a man-made barrier (Use when the boundary is not natural plants)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "hedge" is a simple root word with no prefix or suffix
- •Etymology: From Old English "hecg," meaning a fence or enclosure made of bushes or branches
- •Historical development: Originally used for physical plant fences; later extended to mean protection from risk in money or speech
- •Modern usage: Still used as a plant fence and in finance or everyday language to mean cautious protection or avoiding full commitment
Reflect & Connect
•How can the idea of a "hedge" as a natural fence help you understand its meaning when used as a verb about protection?
•In what situations might you want to "hedge" your decisions or words, and why?
Fill in the blanks
1.The farmer planted a hedge around the field to ___ animals and mark the ___.
2.When investing, people hedge to ___ possible losses by spreading their ___.
3.She hedged her answer because she did not want to give a ___ opinion.
4.Unlike a solid wall, a hedge is made of ___ and can also provide ___ for birds.
5.Businesses often hedge ___ currency changes to avoid losing money.
6.He did not fully commit and hedged his bets by ___ between options.
7.A hedge as a noun is a physical ___, but as a verb, it means to protect from ___.