HOW TO PRONOUNCE
hedgehog
/ˈhɛd͡ʒ.hɔɡ/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:05
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What does hedgehog mean?
noun
- A small mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, characterized by their spiny back and often by the habit of rolling up into a ball when attacked, native to Afro-Eurasia.
- Any of several spiny mammals, such as the porcupine, that are similar to the hedgehog.
- Ellipsis of Czech hedgehog (“an antitank obstacle constructed from three steel rails”).
More meanings (13)
noun
- A type of chocolate cake (or slice), somewhat similar to an American brownie.
- A form of dredging machine.
- Medicago intertexta, the pods of which are armed with short spines.
- Retzia capensis of South Africa.
- The edible fungus Hydnum repandum.
- A kind of electrical transformer with open magnetic circuit, the ends of the iron wire core being turned outward and presenting a bristling appearance.
- A way of serving food at a party, consisting of a half melon or potato etc. with individual cocktail sticks of cheese and pineapple stuck into it.
- A type of plane curve; see Hedgehog (geometry).
- Someone who has one big overarching personal philosophy or worldview.
- (historical, informal) A spigot mortar-type of depth charge weapon from World War II that simultaneously fires a number of explosives into the water to create a pattern of underwater explosions intended to attack submerged submarines.
verb
- To make use of a hedgehog barricade as a defensive maneuver.
- To array with spiky projections like the quills of a hedgehog.
- To curl up into a defensive ball.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈhɛd͡ʒ.hɔɡ/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
The smooth hard covering of the mataco offers a better defence than the sharp spines of the hedgehog.
It should imitate the Anoxia-larva and remain rolled up like a Hedgehog until the enemy retires.
More book examples (3)
The beard of the Enchanter bristled like spikes on a hedgehog, and the balls of his eyes stuck out of his head.
I learn from Topsell’s Gesner, whose authority appears to be Albertus, that the following is the way in which the hedgehog collects and carries home his apples.
He pleads for the frog, and applies himself to setting forth his unknown qualities; he rehabilitates the bat, the hedgehog, and the screech-owl, persecuted, defamed, crushed, stoned, and crucified!