Illustration of hedgehog
- hedgehog 1a
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 (such as a porcupine)
2
a
: a military defensive obstacle (as of barbed wire)
b
: a well-fortified military stronghold
Did you know?
There are 14 species of hedgehogs. All prefer animal food, such as insects, but will eat plant material. There are nine species of spiny hedgehogs. They have short, barbless spines on the back, a round body, small head, pointed face, and little or no tail, and range from 4 in (10 cm) to 17 in (44 cm) long. Spiny hedgehogs are native to Britain, North Africa, and Asia; one species was introduced into New Zealand. There are five species of hairy hedgehog; all are Asian. They have coarse guard hairs, but no spines and are extremely malodorous. The common hairy hedgehog may be 18 in (46 cm) long and have a 12-in (30 cm) tail.
Examples of hedgehog in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There is one aeolid that looks like a psychedelic hedgehog, and several that wouldn’t be out of place at the tip of an orchid stem.
—
Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Down the hall from the hedgehog, staff fed trilling birds — no bigger than the palm of a hand — with tweezers and syringes.
—Jess McHugh, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
Recommended for kids aged 18 months and up, the toy is also a cinch to clean up since all the quills pack up neatly inside the hedgehog’s body.
—Christine Luff, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024
Dutch groups who migrated to Pennsylvania adopted the lore of weather-predicting badgers and hedgehogs.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 2 Feb. 2024
Germans later on used the hedgehog to predict the tradition.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 2 Feb. 2024
Like so many of the creatures that end up here at Faune Alfort, the Paris region’s only hospital that cares for all wild animals, this hedgehog had run afoul of the urban environment.
—Jess McHugh, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
The cute hedgehog also encourages color recognition, sorting, and counting.
—Christine Luff, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024
These animals included badgers, hedgehogs, bears and foxes.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 2 Feb. 2024
Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Down the hall from the hedgehog, staff fed trilling birds — no bigger than the palm of a hand — with tweezers and syringes.
—Jess McHugh, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
Recommended for kids aged 18 months and up, the toy is also a cinch to clean up since all the quills pack up neatly inside the hedgehog’s body.
—Christine Luff, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024
Dutch groups who migrated to Pennsylvania adopted the lore of weather-predicting badgers and hedgehogs.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 2 Feb. 2024
Germans later on used the hedgehog to predict the tradition.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 2 Feb. 2024
Like so many of the creatures that end up here at Faune Alfort, the Paris region’s only hospital that cares for all wild animals, this hedgehog had run afoul of the urban environment.
—Jess McHugh, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
The cute hedgehog also encourages color recognition, sorting, and counting.
—Christine Luff, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024
These animals included badgers, hedgehogs, bears and foxes.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 2 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hedgehog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Hedgehog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hedgehog. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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