What does "fence" mean?

1. (a barrier) a structure made of wood or metal that surrounds a garden or field. 2. (stolen goods dealer) a person who buys and sells stolen things. 3. (to enclose) to put a fence around an area of land. 4. (the sport) to fight with a long, thin sword as a sport. 5. (to avoid answering) to avoid giving a direct answer to a question.

fence — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01a barrier

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a structure made of wood or metal that surrounds a garden or field.

n. a barrier, typically made of posts and wire or boards, enclosing an area of ground to mark a boundary or prevent access.

“The farmer built a tall wooden fence to keep the cows from leaving the field.”

“The property line was clearly demarcated by a rusted iron fence that had stood since the late nineteenth century.”

Synonyms

barrier boundary railing

02stolen goods dealer

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal · Slang

n. a person who buys and sells stolen things.

n. a person who receives and disposes of stolen goods as a middleman.

“The thief took the expensive watches to a fence in the city to get some cash.”

“Police investigators tracked the stolen jewellery to a local fence who operated out of a legitimate-looking pawn shop.”

Synonyms

middleman receiver

03to enclose

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to put a fence around an area of land.

v. to enclose or separate an area with a fence. Often used with the particle 'in' or 'off'.

“They decided to fence off the garden to protect the vegetables from rabbits.”

“The construction crew had to fence off the entire site to ensure public safety during the demolition phase.”

Usage

Often appears as the phrasal verbs 'fence in' or 'fence off'.

Synonyms

enclose surroundwall off

Antonyms

open

04the sport

B2 · Upper Intermediate Sports

v. to fight with a long, thin sword as a sport.

v. to engage in the sport of swordplay using a foil, épée, or sabre.

“She learned to fence when she was at university and joined the local club.”

“The two athletes began to fence with incredible speed, their blades clashing in a series of rapid parries and lunges.”

Synonyms

duelswordplay

05to avoid answering

C2 · Proficiency Formal · Literary

v. to avoid giving a direct answer to a question.

v. to use evasive language or hedge when being questioned.

“The politician started to fence when the reporter asked about the missing money.”

“During the cross-examination, the witness continued to fence with the lawyer, providing vague answers to avoid self-incrimination.”

Synonyms

hedge evadeequivocate

Antonyms

confront

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “fence” in context.

Verb

01. build a fence

“We decided to build a fence around the garden to keep the rabbits out.”

verb + noun

02. jump over the fence

“The dog managed to jump over the fence and run into the street.”

verb + prep + noun

03. paint the fence

“Tom spent the whole afternoon painting the wooden fence white.”

verb + noun

Adjective

04. electric fence

“The farmer installed an electric fence to prevent the cows from escaping.”

adj + noun

05. wooden fence

“Our neighbor repaired the broken wooden fence after the storm.”

adj + noun

Noun

06. fence post

“He used a heavy hammer to drive the fence post into the ground.”

noun + noun

Preposition

07. on the fence

“I am still on the fence about which car I should buy.”

prep + noun

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. Also from the 15th century is use as a verb in the sense "to enclose with a fence". The generalized sense "to defend, screen, protect" arises ca. 1500. The sense "to fight with swords (rapiers)" is from the 1590s (Shakespeare). Displaced native Old English heġe (compare Modern English hedge).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN

fence(B1)

fencing(B2)