What does hedgerow mean?
A hedgerow is a continuous line of shrubs, bushes, or small trees used to mark a boundary, divide fields, or shelter rural wildlife. It is especially common in British and Irish English, where hedges are a familiar feature of lanes, farms, and field systems; the word is also understood in American English but is less usual there. In use, “hedgerow” normally denotes the planted line itself rather than the individual plants composing it. The term has a strongly rural character and can evoke the older agricultural landscape of Britain, including boundaries that predate modern roads and drainage systems. Hedgerows are also ecologically important, providing food and shelter for insects, birds, and mammals. The word is therefore useful not only for identifying a physical feature but also for describing how people, wildlife, and historical land use are connected within a landscape.
nounA continuous row of shrubs, bushes, or small trees planted or growing along a boundary, especially between fields.
- A continuous row or line of shrubs, bushes, or small trees, typically forming a boundary or dividing fields.
"A blackbird sang from the thorny hedgerow as we followed the lane toward the village."
"Wildflowers and brambles grew thickly along the hedgerow."
"The council replaced sections of the ancient hedgerow with wire fencing."
The regular plural of the noun, used when referring to several boundary lines or separate stretches of hedging.
"Ancient hedgerows once marked the boundaries between the village's narrow fields."
More than a fence, a hedgerow can shelter wildlife, preserve an old field boundary, and stitch together a rural landscape.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hedgerow come from?
Hedgerow is a Middle English compound formed from hedge and row. Hedge descends from Old English hæġ, meaning an enclosure or boundary formed by bushes, while row descends from Old English rāwe, meaning a ridge or line. The related forms hedge and hay, as well as haw in the sense of hawthorn, come from Germanic cognates associated with the same older roots.
Related word forms
How hedgerow is actually used
The word is strongly associated with British and Irish rural landscapes. It is understood in American English but is less frequent, and it usually denotes the planted boundary as a whole rather than an individual shrub.
Easily confused with hedgerow
A hedge may refer to an individual shrub or to a boundary of vegetation generally, whereas a hedgerow specifically emphasizes a continuous row of shrubs or trees.