hedgehog

Noun

1. 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.
2. (US) Any of several spiny mammals, such as the porcupine, that are similar to the hedgehog.
3. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of Czech hedgehog (“an antitank obstacle constructed from three steel rails”).
4. (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.
5. (Australia) A type of chocolate cake (or slice), somewhat similar to an American brownie.
6. A form of dredging machine.
7. Certain flowering plants with parts resembling a member of family Erinaceidae
8. Certain flowering plants with parts resembling a member of family Erinaceidae
9. The edible fungus Hydnum repandum.
10. A kind of electrical transformer with open magnetic circuit, the ends of the iron wire core being turned outward and presenting a bristling appearance.
11. 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.
12. A type of plane curve; see Hedgehog (geometry).
13. Someone who has one big overarching personal philosophy or worldview.

Verb

1. To make use of a hedgehog barricade as a defensive maneuver.
2. To array with spiky projections like the quills of a hedgehog.
3. (ambitransitive) To curl up into a defensive ball.

Opposite of

fox

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhɛd͡ʒ.hɒɡ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: heyghoge

In summary

From Middle English heyghoge; equivalent to hedge + hog. Eclipsed non-native Middle English yrchoun, irchoun (“hedgehog”), from Old French hirchoun, herichon (“hedgehog”); and displaced earlier Middle English il, from Old English īl, iġil (“hedgehog”).
In the philosophical sense, from the 1953 essay The Hedgehog and the Fox by Isaiah Berlin.

Synonyms

porcupine

Erinaceus europaeus

Erinaceus europeaeus

urchin

porcupinefish

ajargo

Old World porcupine

badger

🦡

hedgehog fish

depth charge

hedgehog position

porcupine fish

Translations

hérisson

🦔

Igel

🦔

riccio

erizo

🦔

jeż

eriçó

🦔

egel

🦔

ouriço

🦔

kirpi

🦔

eriç

σκατζόχοιρος

قنفذ

🦔

porcospino

eriçon

σκαντζόχοιρος