Adjacent Words

Hedgehog definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HEDGEHOG, n. A quadruped, or genus of quadrupeds, the Erinaceus. The common hedgehog has round ears, and crested nostrils; his body is about nine inches long, and the upper part is covered with prickles or spines, and the under part with hair. When attacked, this animal erects his prickles and rolls himself into a round form, which presents the points of the prickles on all sides to an assailant.
1. A term of reproach.
2. A plant of the genus Medicago, or snail-trefoil. The seeds are shaped like a snail, downy, and armed with a few short spines.
3. The globe-fish, orbis echinatus.
This fish belongs to the genus Diodon. It is covered with long spines, and has the power of inflating its body, whence the name globe-fish.
The Sea-hedgehog, is the Echinus, a genus of Zoophytes, generally of a spheroidal or oval form, and covered with movable spines.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: relatively large rodents with sharp erectile bristles mingled with the fur [syn: porcupine, hedgehog]
2: small nocturnal Old World mammal covered with both hair and protective spines [syn: hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus, Erinaceus europeaeus]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 15th century 1. a. any of a subfamily (Erinaceinae) of Eurasian and African nocturnal insectivores that have both hair and spines which they present outwardly by rolling themselves up when threatened b. any of several spiny mammals (as a porcupine) 2. a. a military defensive obstacle (as of barbed wire) b. a well-fortified military stronghold

Britannica Concise

Any of 14 species of insectivores in the family Erinaceidae. All prefer animal food but will eat plant material. The nine species of spiny hedgehogs have short, barbless spines on the back, a round body, small head, pointed face, and little or no tail. Species range from 4 to 17 in. (10-44 cm) long. Spiny hedgehogs are native to Britain, N Africa, and Asia; one species was introduced into New Zealand. The five species of gymnure, or hairy hedgehog, are Asian. They have coarse guard hairs but no spines and are extremely malodorous. The common gymnure may be 18 in. (46 cm) long and have a 12-in. (30-cm) tail. See also porcupine.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 any small nocturnal insect-eating mammal of the genus Erinaceus, esp. E. europaeus, having a piglike snout and a coat of spines, and rolling itself up into a ball for defence. 2 a porcupine or other animal similarly covered with spines. Derivatives: hedgehoggy adj. Etymology: ME f. HEDGE (from its habitat) + HOG (from its snout)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hedgehog Hedge"hog`, n. (Elec.) A variety of transformer with open magnetic circuit, the ends of the iron wire core being turned outward and presenting a bristling appearance, whence the name.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hedgehog Hedge"hog`, n. 1. (Zo["o]l.) A small European insectivore (Erinaceus Europ[ae]us), and other allied species of Asia and Africa, having the hair on the upper part of its body mixed with prickles or spines. It is able to roll itself into a ball so as to present the spines outwardly in every direction. It is nocturnal in its habits, feeding chiefly upon insects. 2. (Zo["o]l.) The Canadian porcupine.[U.S] 3. (Bot.) A species of Medicago (M. intertexta), the pods of which are armed with short spines; -- popularly so called. --Loudon. 4. A form of dredging machine. --Knight. Hedgehog caterpillar (Zo["o]l.), the hairy larv[ae] of several species of bombycid moths, as of the Isabella moth. It curls up like a hedgehog when disturbed. See Woolly bear, and Isabella moth. Hedgehog fish (Zo["o]l.), any spinose plectognath fish, esp. of the genus Diodon; the porcupine fish. Hedgehog grass (Bot.), a grass with spiny involucres, growing on sandy shores; burgrass (Cenchrus tribuloides). Hedgehog rat (Zo["o]l.), one of several West Indian rodents, allied to the porcupines, but with ratlike tails, and few quills, or only stiff bristles. The hedgehog rats belong to Capromys, Plagiodon, and allied genera. Hedgehog shell (Zo["o]l.), any spinose, marine, univalve shell of the genus Murex. Hedgehog thistle (Bot.), a plant of the Cactus family, globular in form, and covered with spines (Echinocactus). Sea hedgehog. See Diodon.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(hedgehogs) A hedgehog is a small brown animal with sharp spikes covering its back. N-COUNT

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hej'-hog Septuagint echinos, "hedgehog," for qippodh, in Isa 14:23; 34:11; Ze 2:14, and for qippoz, in Isa 34:15).

See PORCUPINE; BITTERN; OWL; SERPENT.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Erinaceus Europaeus.

Foolish Dictionary

One who hogs the fences. A Bill-Poster.