HEDGEHOG

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does hedgehog mean? 

• HEDGEHOG (noun)
  The noun HEDGEHOG has 2 senses:

1. relatively large rodents with sharp erectile bristles mingled with the fur

2. small nocturnal Old World mammal covered with both hair and protective spines

  Familiarity information: HEDGEHOG used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HEDGEHOG (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Relatively large rodents with sharp erectile bristles mingled with the fur

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

hedgehog; porcupine

Hypernyms ("hedgehog" is a kind of...):

gnawer; rodent (relatively small placental mammals having a single pair of constantly growing incisor teeth specialized for gnawing)

Meronyms (parts of "hedgehog"):

quill (a stiff hollow protective spine on a porcupine or hedgehog)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hedgehog"):

Old World porcupine (terrestrial porcupine)

New World porcupine (arboreal porcupine)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Small nocturnal Old World mammal covered with both hair and protective spines

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

Erinaceus europaeus; Erinaceus europeaeus; hedgehog

Hypernyms ("hedgehog" is a kind of...):

insectivore (small insect-eating mainly nocturnal terrestrial or fossorial mammals)

Meronyms (parts of "hedgehog"):

quill (a stiff hollow protective spine on a porcupine or hedgehog)

Holonyms ("hedgehog" is a member of...):

Erinaceus; genus Erinaceus (type genus of the family Erinaceidae: hedgehogs)

 Context examples 

Indian hedgehog protein (411 aa, ~45 kDa) is encoded by the human IHH gene.

(Indian Hedgehog Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

A novel proprietary small molecule, and a selective inhibitor of sonic hedgehog signaling pathway, with potential anti-tumor activity.

(IPI-609, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes indian hedgehog protein, plays a role in both bone growth and differentiation.

(IHH wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Hedgehog inhibitor PF-04449913 appears to inhibit Hh pathway signaling.

(Hedgehog Inhibitor PF-04449913, NCI Thesaurus)

This gene is involved in transcriptional regulation and plays a role in sonic hedgehog signal transduction.

(GLI2 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

This gene plays a regulatory role in limb development and is involved in sonic hedgehog signal transduction.

(GLI3 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

Basal cell carcinoma is associated with mutations that activate Smoothened or inactivate Patched, causing excess activity of the hedgehog response pathway.

(Patched, NCI Thesaurus)

The Drosophila patched-hedgehog signaling pathway establishes segment polarity and anterior-posterior orientation.

(Patched Homolog 2, NCI Thesaurus)

Expression may be dependent on Sonic hedgehog signaling.

(Fibroblast Growth Factor 9, NCI Thesaurus)

In the absence of hedgehog, patched represses constitutive smoothened signaling through fused.

(Drosophila Patched Gene, NCI Thesaurus)