1. A close-set row of bushes, usually with their branches intermingled, forming a barrier or boundary in a garden, lawn, yard, or field: When the cat saw Mildred walking in its direction, it jumped into the hedge.
2. An intentionally noncommittal or ambiguous statement: Josie's vague answers seemed to be a hedge against her potential support for the campaign.
3. Any technique designed to reduce or to eliminate financial risk; for example, taking two positions that will offset each other if prices change: Josie's broker told her that he used an investment company that employed high-risk techniques as a hedge; such as, borrowing money and selling short, in an effort to make big capital gains.

1. To avoid answering a question directly or definitely: Francisca could have given a straight answer, but instead she tried to hedge and wouldn't say why she couldn't come to the party.
2. To minimize loss or risk: Mildred invests her money to hedge against inflation and financial failure.

A row of bushes, shrubs, or trees forming a barrier between properties, alongside roads, etc.: A traveler to Great Britain can see one hedgerow after another, many of which have been up for hundreds of years in certain parts of the England.

More information about hedgerows is available here.

Any of several small insectivorous mammals of the family Erinaceidae of Europe, Africa, and Asia, having the back covered with dense erectile spines and characteristically rolling into a ball for protection when it feels threatened: Keith said that he had seen an occasional hedgehog at night in his yard or even crossing the street.