Hedgehog

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Hedgehog

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun

Pronunciation

HEJ-hog  /ˈhɛdʒhɒɡ/

Definition

A small, nocturnal insectivorous mammal (Erinaceus europaeus) with a rounded body covered in sharp spines, found widely in Europe; it curls into a ball when threatened, presenting its spines as a defence; also the name of several related species worldwide.

Plain meaning

The hedgehog is the spiny, nocturnal British mammal that rolls into a ball when threatened — one of the most recognisable and most loved mammals in Britain. It eats insects, worms, slugs, and snails, and is the subject of one of the most significant UK mammal conservation campaigns.

Register

Neutral and widely known. Hedgehog has strong cultural associations in Britain — from Beatrix Potter's Mrs Tiggy-Winkle to the wildlife conservation campaigns of recent decades. It is also a well-known metaphor from Isaiah Berlin's hedgehog-versus-fox distinction.