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fence
[fens]
noun
a barrier enclosing or bordering a field, yard, etc., usually made of vertical posts connected with horizontal sections of sturdy material or materials, as wood, metal, vinyl, or wire, used to prevent entrance, to confine, or to mark a boundary.
Our garden fence is not high enough to keep the deer out.
Informal., a person who receives and disposes of stolen goods.
the place of business of such a person.
the act, practice, art, or sport of fencing.
skill in argument, repartee, etc.
Machinery., a guard or guide, as for regulating the movements of a tool or work.
Carpentry., a slotted guide used especially with a framing square to lay out cuts on rafters and staircase strings.
Archaic., a means of defense; a bulwark.
verb (used with object)
to enclose by some barrier, establishing exclusive right to possession.
to fence a farm.
to separate by or as by a fence or fences (often followed by in, off, out, etc.).
to fence off a corner of one's yard; to fence out unwholesome influences.
to defend; protect; guard.
The president was fenced by bodyguards wherever he went.
to ward off; keep out.
Informal., to sell (stolen goods) to a fence.
Nautical., to reinforce (an opening in a sail or the like) by sewing on a grommet or other device.
verb (used without object)
to practice the art or sport of fencing.
to parry arguments; strive to avoid giving direct answers; hedge.
The mayor fenced when asked if he would run again.
(of a horse) to leap over a fence.
Obsolete., to raise a defense.
fence
/ fɛns /
noun
a structure that serves to enclose an area such as a garden or field, usually made of posts of timber, concrete, or metal connected by wire, netting, rails, or boards
slang, a dealer in stolen property
an obstacle for a horse to jump in steeplechasing or showjumping
machinery a guard or guide, esp in a circular saw or plane
a projection usually fitted to the top surface of a sweptback aircraft wing to prevent movement of the airflow towards the wing tips
to restore a position or reputation that has been damaged, esp in politics
to re-establish friendly relations (with someone)
unable or unwilling to commit oneself
informal, unreasonable, unfair, or unjust
to be unable or unwilling to commit oneself
verb
(tr) to construct a fence on or around (a piece of land, etc)
(tr; foll by in or off) to close (in) or separate (off) with or as if with a fence
he fenced in the livestock
(intr) to fight using swords or foils
(intr) to evade a question or argument, esp by quibbling over minor points
(intr) to engage in skilful or witty debate, repartee, etc
slang, (intr) to receive stolen property
archaic, (tr) to ward off or keep out
Other Word Forms
- fenceless adjective
- fencelike adjective
- outfence verb (used with object)
- refence verb (used with object)
- unfence verb (used with object)
- well-fenced adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of fence1
Idioms and Phrases
mend one's fences, to strengthen or reestablish one's position by conciliation or negotiation.
One could tell by his superficially deferential manner that he was trying to mend his fences.
on the fence, uncommitted; neutral; undecided.
The party leaders are still on the fence.
More idioms and phrases containing fence
Example Sentences
She’s clearly swinging for the fences, and is almost certainly planning a run for president in 2028.
He was working at a construction site in coastal Alabama when he saw masked immigration agents from Homeland Security Investigations hop a fence and run by a “No trespassing” sign.
Of his 32 swings, he sent 14 over the fence, including one that clanked off the roof of the right-field pavilion.
She added there had been no changes to the building's structure and the only external changes were to install security fencing in response to the protests.
But even there, populations are increasingly cut off from one another by commercial plantations, farmland fencing, and human encroachment.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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