hedge
part of speech
noun (a hedge, hedges); verb (hedge, hedges, hedged, hedging)
meaning for a pupil
1) A hedge is a row of bushes or small trees growing close together, forming a living fence. tree →
2) To hedge means to avoid giving a clear answer. tree →
3) To hedge your bets means to protect yourself by choosing more than one option. tree →
sense in the lessons
In everyday life hedges line gardens, fields and country lanes, especially in Britain and Ireland; they give homes to birds, hedgehogs and insects. In science lessons hedgerows are habitats. In stories a character might hide behind a hedge or squeeze through a gap. Phrases: «trim the hedge», «hedgerow», «hedge your bets», «hedge a question».
examples
- We trimmed the hedge in the garden. tree →
- A blackbird nested in the hedge. tree →
- Hedgehogs often live under hedges. tree →
- The ball went over the hedge into the neighbour's garden. tree →
- The lane was lined with tall hedges. tree →
- When asked who broke the vase, he hedged. tree →
- I hedged my bets and brought a coat and sunglasses. tree →
- Hedgerows are homes for many animals. tree →
- The hedges of rose-bush were old, and the flowers were faded. tree →
note
Countable: hedges. «Hedgerow» is a long hedge by a field or lane. Safety: hedges by roads can hide cars — look and listen carefully at corners and gates.
In the corpora
- Most of the time it goes smoothly, but small things like a hedge or a parked car can grow into big rows.
- Neighbours sometimes disagree about hedges, fences, noise or rubbish, and most disputes are solved by a friendly chat.
- Sparrowhawks hunt garden birds by surprise, darting low along hedges, and the female is about twice as heavy as the male.
- A stripy head peeps out of a hedge: Badger.
- Badger: «a stripy head, with high shoulders behind it» peered out of a hedge, grunted «H'm!
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «hedge» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.