hedgehog
/ˈhɛd͡ʒ.hɔɡ/
Frequency: 3.25 in modern English
Meaning
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.
noun
Any of several spiny mammals, such as the porcupine, that are similar to the hedgehog.
American usage
noun
Ellipsis of Czech hedgehog (“an antitank obstacle constructed from three steel rails”).
noun
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.
Informal
noun
Certain flowering plants with parts resembling a member of family Erinaceidae
noun
Certain flowering plants with parts resembling a member of family Erinaceidae
Example Sentences
- "[L]ike Hedg-hogs vvhich / Lye tumbling in my bare-foote vvay, and mount / Their pricks at my foot-fall: ſometime am I / All vvound vvith Adders, vvho vvith clouen tongues / Doe hiſſe me into madneſſe: […]"
- "Among the Romans the genital organ of the hedgehog and the wolf were among the ingredients used in aphrodisiac concoctions."
- "Ukrainian civilians have been DIY-ing hedgehogs, welding two bars or beams at an angle to make a cross and then adding a third to ensure it holds its shape even if it's knocked over."
- "2005, Paul Mitchell, The Favourite, Frank Moorhouse, The Best Australian Stories 2005, page 145, There are hedgehogs with sultanas as well as breadcrumbs, carrot cakes and fruitcakes and banana walnut loaves."
- "I am so flustered that I order a vanilla slice instead of hedgehog."
- "His wife had made a hedgehog cake and he offered some but Murphy refused – his mouth was so dry with terror he couldn′t swallow."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: heyghoge
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhɛd͡ʒ.hɔɡ/
Usage
- American usage
- Informal
- Australian usage