In linguistics, a word or phrase used to weaken the truth value of an utterance, or to use such a word or phrase. For instance, compare the sentences

"I don't think I'm going." and "I'm not going."

The former hedges the meaning of the latter. Hedges are often used to be polite, in order to soften a verbal blow to the ego or somehow diminish the message that the person being addressed isn't going to get what they want in a certain situation. (Many a semantics or pragmatics textbook will tell you that most verbal expressions of politeness come down to one of these two.)

Frequently-used hedges include: I think, I guess, maybe, perhaps, kind of, sort of, technically, somewhat, rather, and most of the modal auxiliaries (can/could, may/might, will/would, etc.) The list goes on and on: some people who can't stand the insertion of "like" and "y'know" argue that these function as hedges (though generally they don't use linguistics terminology, but rather complain that these make a speaker sound ignorant or unconfident. See people who abuse the word like for examples and discussion of this phenomenon.)

Interestingly, many hedges may at first seem to function as intensifiers (words or phrases which serve to strengthen the truth value of an utterance). Ask yourself which of the following sentences seems stronger:

"I love you." or "I really love you."

Answer (of course, language use is way subjective, but for the purposes of this exercise I'm going to pretend what I'm saying is absolute truth): "I love you." is stronger, because there's something sketchy about having to add an intensifier to a declaration of love. Or maybe I'm reading into things too much... but hey, that's why I'm a linguist.

Semanticians love hedges, because they're a semi-quantifiable sociolinguistic variable. In other words, after a bit of study, it's possible to develop a metric for evaluating the effects of a hedge, and apply predicate or fuzzy logic, and have real computational models to play with.

Hedges are often discussed in the study of language and gender. Traditionally, real men don't hedge, or at least avoid doing so like the plague. Is this a stereotype? Sure, but something rings true about it, because John Gray made his name selling tripe like this in his Mars and Venus series.

Hedge (?), n. [OE. hegge, AS. hecg; akin to haga an inclosure, E. haw, AS. hege hedge, E. haybote, D. hegge, OHG. hegga, G. hecke. &root;12. See Haw a hedge.]

A thicket of bushes, usually thorn bushes; especially, such a thicket planted as a fence between any two portions of land; and also any sort of shrubbery, as evergreens, planted in a line or as a fence; particularly, such a thicket planted round a field to fence it, or in rows to separate the parts of a garden.

The roughest berry on the rudest hedge. Shak.

Through the verdant maze Of sweetbrier hedges I pursue my walk. Thomson.

⇒ Hedge, when used adjectively or in composition, often means rustic, outlandish, illiterate, poor, or mean; as, hedge priest; hedgeborn, etc.

Hedge bells, Hedge bindweed Bot., a climbing plant related to the morning-glory (Convolvulus sepium). -- Hedge bill, a long-handled billhook. -- Hedge garlic Bot., a plant of the genus Alliaria. See Garlic mustard, under Garlic. -- Hedge hyssop Bot., a bitter herb of the genus Gratiola, the leaves of which are emetic and purgative. -- Hedge marriage, a secret or clandestine marriage, especially one performed by a hedge priest. [Eng.] -- Hedge mustard Bot., a plant of the genus Sisymbrium, belonging to the Mustard family. -- Hedge nettle Bot., an herb, or under shrub, of the genus Stachys, belonging to the Mint family. It has a nettlelike appearance, though quite harmless. -- Hedge note. (a) The note of a hedge bird. (b) Low, contemptible writing. [Obs.] Dryden. -- Hedge priest, a poor, illiterate priest. Shak. -- Hedge school, an open-air school in the shelter of a hedge, in Ireland; a school for rustics. -- Hedge sparrow Zool., a European warbler (Accentor modularis) which frequents hedges. Its color is reddish brown, and ash; the wing coverts are tipped with white. Called also chanter, hedge warbler, dunnock, and doney. -- Hedge writer, an insignificant writer, or a writer of low, scurrilous stuff. [Obs.] Swift. -- To breast up a hedge. See under Breast. -- To hang in the hedge, to be at a standstill. "While the business of money hangs in the hedge."

Pepys.

© Webster 1913.

Hedge (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hedged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Hedging.]

1.

To inclose or separate with a hedge; to fence with a thickly set line or thicket of shrubs or small trees; as, to hedge a field or garden.

2.

To obstruct, as a road, with a barrier; to hinder from progress or success; -- sometimes with up and out.

I will hedge up thy way with thorns. Hos. ii. 6.

Lollius Urbius . . . drew another wall . . . to hedge out incursions from the north. Milton.

3.

To surround for defense; to guard; to protect; to hem (in).

Shak.

4.

To surround so as to prevent escape.

That is a law to hedge in the cuckoo. Locke.

To hedge a bet, to bet upon both sides; that is, after having bet on one side, to bet also on the other, thus guarding against loss.

© Webster 1913.

Hedge, v. i.

1.

To shelter one's self from danger, risk, duty, responsibility, etc., as if by hiding in or behind a hedge; to skulk; to slink; to shirk obligations.

I myself sometimes, leaving the fear of God on the left hand and hiding mine honor in my necessity, am fain to shuffle, to hedge and to lurch. Shak.

2. Betting

To reduce the risk of a wager by making a bet against the side or chance one has bet on.

3.

To use reservations and qualifications in one's speech so as to avoid committing one's self to anything definite.

The Heroic Stanzas read much more like an elaborate attempt to hedge between the parties than . . . to gain favor from the Roundheads. Saintsbury.

© Webster 1913.