fence
//fɛns//
Forms
- Plural
- fences
- present (v1)
- fence
- past (v2)
- fenced
- past participle (v3)
- fenced
- present participle
- fencing
- 3rd person singular
- fences
Definitions
1.A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc.
- Two children are sitting on the fence.
- A fence separates the garden from the lane.
2.Someone who hides or buys and sells stolen goods, a criminal middleman for transactions of stolen goods.(informal)
- Two children are sitting on the fence.
- A fence separates the garden from the lane.
3.The place whence such a middleman operates.
- Two children are sitting on the fence.
- A fence separates the garden from the lane.
4.Skill in oral debate.
- Two children are sitting on the fence.
- A fence separates the garden from the lane.
1.To defend or guard.
2.To engage in the selling or buying of stolen goods.
3.To engage in the sport of fencing.
- Challenges are flying right and left between these bully-swordsmen, these spadassinicides, and poor devils of the robe who have never learnt to fence with anything but a quill.
4.To enclose, contain or separate by building fence.
- Here are twenty acres of land, and it is all you can properly farm, unless you have more help than yourself. Now fence and cultivate it, and you can make an abundant living.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #3148
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
From Middle English fence, fens, short for defence, defens (“the act of defending”), from Old French defens, defense (see defence).
The sense "enclosure" arises in the mid 15th century.