fence
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: ball-games
computing
cricket
engineering
equestrianism
games
hobbies
horses
law
lifestyle
mathematics
natural-sciences
pets
physical-sciences
programming
sciences
sports
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.
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).
Inflected forms:
form: fences
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: fences
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: fencing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: fenced
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: fenced
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: There was a weak place in the fence separating the two inclosures
From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.
gloss: Someone who hides or buys and sells stolen goods, a criminal middleman for transactions of stolen goods.
pos: noun
tags: countable
informal
uncountable
examples: The Bat—they called him the Bat.[…]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
The Finn was a fence, a trafficker in stolen goods, primarily in software. In the course of this business, he sometimes came into contact with other fences, some of whom dealt in the more traditional articles of the trade.
gloss: The place whence such a middleman operates.
pos: noun
tags: broadly
countable
uncountable
gloss: Skill in oral debate.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: The art or practice of fencing.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
uncountable
examples: I bruised my shin th' other day with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence
gloss: A guard or guide on machinery.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: A barrier, for example an emotional barrier.
pos: noun
tags: countable
figuratively
uncountable
examples: I was in your arms
Thinking I belonged there
I figured it made sense
Building me a fence
gloss: A prohibition enacted to prevent violation of another more primary rule.
pos: noun
tags: Jewish
countable
uncountable
examples: For quite other reasons Jewish religious authorities, too, restricted the size of the orchestra. They sought to erect a "fence" against hilarity and gaiety, out of respect for their ever remembered "Destruction."
gloss: A memory barrier.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: The boundary.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: To enclose, contain or separate by building fence.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: […] pray you, if you know,
Where in the purlieus of this forest stands
A sheep-cote fenc’d about with olive trees?
[…] O thou wall,
That girdlest in those wolves, dive in the earth,
And fence not Athens.
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.
gloss: To defend or guard.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Cosin, our hands I hope shall fence our heads,
And strike off his that makes you threaten vs.
[…] I have learn’t
To fence my ear against thy sorceries.
gloss: To engage in the selling or buying of stolen goods.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: The Bat—they called him the Bat.[…]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
gloss: To engage in the sport of fencing.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: 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.
gloss: To jump over a fence.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
gloss: To conceal the truth by giving equivocal answers; to hedge; to be evasive.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: A lady, sir, as you will find, / Keeps counsel, or she speaks her mind, / Means what she says and scorns to fence / And palter with feigned innocence.
You only give me ten minutes. If I am to put my case before you, Mr Carrados, we cannot fence with phrases...
Related words: wire netting
wire gauze
Derived words: back-fence
Belgian fence
brush fence
buck fence
Chesterton's fence
code fence
cyclone fence
dingo fence
drop fence
electrical fence
fedge
fenceful
fence hopper
Fence Houses
Fencehouses
fenceless
fencelet
fencelike
fence line
fenceline
fence lizard
fence-mending
fence month
fence off
fencepole
fencepost
fence-post
fence post
fencerow
fence-sit
fence sitter
fence-sitter
fence-sitting
fence the tables
fence time
fence-viewer
fence viewer
fence wire
fencing
flower-fence
forefence
geo-fence
geofence
ghetto fence
good fences make good neighbors
homely as a hedge fence
jackleg fence
living fence
make a Virginia fence
mend fences
mud fence
nigger in the fence
on the fence
over the fence
perimeter fence
rail fence cipher
ride fence
rip fence
ripgut fence
roundpole fence
rush one's fences
sand fence
sit on the fence
sit the fence
snake fence
spite fence
split rail fence
stone-fence
sunk fence
swing for the fence
swing for the fences
the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
throw one's hat over the fence
tongue-fence
unfence
Virginia fence
Virginia rail fence
western fence lizard
white picket fence
wing fence
worm fence
fence in
fencer
outfence
refence
ring-fence
ringfence
Translations:
lang: Aari
word: gurdá
lang: Albanian
word: gardh
lang: Albanian
word: rrethojë
lang: Southern Altai
word: чеден
roman: čeden
lang: Amharic
word: አጥር
roman: ʾäṭr
lang: Arabic
word: سُور
roman: sūr
lang: Arabic
word: سِيَاج
roman: siyāj
lang: Arabic
word: سياج
roman: syāj
lang: Arabic
word: سُور
roman: sūr
lang: Arabic
word: جدار
roman: jidār
lang: Aragonese
word: barana
lang: Armenian
word: ցանկապատ
roman: cʻankapat
lang: Armenian
word: չափար
roman: čʻapʻar
lang: Assamese
word: বেৰা
roman: bera
lang: Assamese
word: জেওৰা
roman: zeüra
lang: Asturian
word: barganaz
lang: Asturian
word: corripia
lang: Asturian
word: barganera
lang: Asturian
word: allambráu
lang: Asturian
word: zarru
lang: Asturian
word: cierru
lang: Azerbaijani
word: hasar
lang: Azerbaijani
word: çəpər
lang: Azerbaijani
word: barı
lang: Azerbaijani
word: sədd
lang: Azerbaijani
word: divar
lang: Bashkir
word: ҡойма
roman: qoyma
lang: Basque
word: hesi
lang: Belarusian
word: плот
roman: plot
lang: Belarusian
word: агаро́джа
roman: aharódža
lang: Belarusian
word: парка́н
roman: parkán
lang: Belarusian
word: тын
roman: tyn
lang: Bengali
word: বেড়া
roman: beṛa
lang: Bhojpuri
word: बाड़
roman: bāṛ
lang: Central Bikol
word: kudal
lang: Bislama
word: banis
lang: Breton
word: peulgae
lang: Bulgarian
word: огра́да
roman: ográda
lang: Bulgarian
word: плет
roman: plet
lang: Burmese
word: စည်း
roman: cany:
lang: Burmese
word: အကာ
roman: a.ka
lang: Burmese
word: ခြံစည်းရိုး
roman: hkramcany:rui:
lang: Catalan
word: tanca
lang: Catalan
word: barrera
lang: Catalan
word: valla
lang: Cebuano
word: koral
lang: Chechen
word: керт
roman: kert
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 籬笆 /篱笆
roman: líba
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 柵欄 /栅栏
roman: zhàlan
lang: Chuukese
word: tit
lang: Cornish
word: ke
lang: Cornish
word: kloos
lang: Czech
word: plot
lang: Czech
word: ohrada
lang: Czech
word: oplocení
lang: Danish
word: hegn
lang: Dutch
word: hek
lang: Dutch
word: omheining
lang: Esperanto
word: barilo
lang: Estonian
word: tara
lang: Faroese
word: girðing
lang: Finnish
word: aita
lang: French
word: clôture
lang: French
word: cloison
lang: Galician
word: valo
lang: Galician
word: cerrume
lang: Georgian
word: ღობე
roman: ɣobe
lang: Georgian
word: გალავანი
roman: galavani
lang: German
word: Zaun
lang: German
word: Hag
lang: German
word: Fence
lang: German
word: Fenz
lang: German
word: Haag
lang: Greek
word: φράχτης
roman: fráchtis
lang: Greek
word: περίφραξη
roman: perífraxi
lang: Greek
word: μάντρα
roman: mántra
lang: Ancient Greek
word: φραγμός
roman: phragmós
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἕρκος
roman: hérkos
lang: Greenlandic
word: ungaloq
lang: Hamer-Banna
word: áigi
lang: Hamer-Banna
word: agála
lang: Hamer-Banna
word: kermí
lang: Hamer-Banna
word: qalánsi
lang: Hanunoo
word: alad
lang: Hausa
word: shinge
lang: Hebrew
word: גָדֵר
roman: gadér
lang: Higaonon
word: alad
lang: Hindi
word: बाड़
roman: bāṛ
lang: Hungarian
word: kerítés
lang: Icelandic
word: girðing
lang: Indonesian
word: pagar
lang: Ingrian
word: aita
lang: Irish
word: fál
lang: Irish
word: sconsa
lang: Irish
word: claí
lang: Irish
word: airbhe
lang: Italian
word: recinto
lang: Italian
word: steccato
lang: Italian
word: palizzata
lang: Italian
word: cinta
lang: Italian
word: siepe
lang: Italian
word: barriera
lang: Japanese
word: 柵
roman: saku
lang: Japanese
word: 塀
roman: hei
lang: Japanese
word: 囲い
roman: kakoi
lang: Japanese
word: 垣根
roman: kakine
lang: Japanese
word: 垣
roman: kaki
lang: Javanese
word: pager
lang: Kannada
word: ಬೇಲಿ
roman: bēli
lang: Kazakh
word: дуал
lang: Kazakh
word: қаша
roman: qaşa
lang: Khmer
word: ចំណារ
roman: cɑmnaa
lang: Khmer
word: រ
roman: rɔɔ
lang: Korean
word: 울타리
roman: ultari
lang: Korean
word: 담
roman: dam
lang: Central Kurdish
word: پەرژین
roman: perjîn
lang: Northern Kurdish
word: tan
lang: Northern Kurdish
word: çeper
lang: Kyrgyz
word: кашаа
roman: kaşaa
lang: Kyrgyz
word: дубал
roman: dubal
lang: Lao
word: ຮົ້ວ
roman: hūa
lang: Latin
word: saepēs
lang: Latvian
word: žogs
lang: Latvian
word: sēta
lang: Lithuanian
word: tvora
lang: Macedonian
word: о́града
roman: ógrada
lang: Macedonian
word: плет
roman: plet
lang: Macedonian
word: плот
roman: plot
lang: Malay
word: pagar
lang: Malayalam
word: വേലി
roman: vēli
lang: Mansaka
word: arad
lang: Manx
word: cleigh
lang: Māori
word: takitaki
lang: Māori
word: taiapa
lang: Māori
word: taiepa
lang: Maranao
word: alad
lang: Moksha
word: перяфкс
roman: peräfks
lang: Mongolian
word: хашаа
roman: xašaa
lang: Mongolian
word: хайс
roman: xajs
lang: Mongolian
word: ᠬᠠᠰᠢᠶ᠎ᠠ
roman: qasiy-a
lang: Mongolian
word: ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠰᠤ
roman: qayisu
lang: Norman
word: cllôture d'bouais
lang: Norman
word: cliôthuthe
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: gjerde
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: gjerde
lang: Occitan
word: clausura
lang: Church Slavic
word: плотъ
roman: plotŭ
lang: Church Slavic
word: халѫга
roman: xalǫga
lang: Old English
word: heġe
lang: Oromo
word: dallaa
lang: Oromo
word: kellaa
lang: Ossetian
word: ӕмбонд
roman: æmbond
lang: Pashto
word: کټاره
roman: kaṭārá
lang: Pennsylvania German
word: Fenz
lang: Dari
word: کَتَارَه
roman: katāra
lang: Iranian Persian
word: حِصار
roman: hesâr
lang: Iranian Persian
word: دیوار
roman: divâr
lang: Iranian Persian
word: پَرْچین
roman: parčin
lang: Plautdietsch
word: Tun
lang: Polish
word: płot
lang: Polish
word: ogrodzenie
lang: Portuguese
word: cerca
lang: Quechua
word: pirqa
lang: Romanian
word: gard
lang: Romanian
word: îngrăditură
lang: Romansh
word: saiv
lang: Russian
word: забо́р
roman: zabór
lang: Russian
word: и́згородь
roman: ízgorodʹ
lang: Russian
word: огра́да
roman: ográda
lang: Russian
word: огражде́ние
roman: ograždénije
lang: Savosavo
word: bani
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: callaid
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: feansa
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: bàrd
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: о̏града
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: пло̑т
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: ȍgrada
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: plȏt
lang: Siberian Tatar
word: цитән
roman: citän
lang: Sidamo
word: huxxa
lang: Sinhalese
word: වැට
roman: wæṭa
lang: Slovak
word: plot
lang: Slovak
word: ohrada
lang: Slovak
word: oplotenie
lang: Slovene
word: ograja
lang: Lower Sorbian
word: płot
lang: Upper Sorbian
word: płot
lang: Spanish
word: cerca
lang: Spanish
word: cerramiento
lang: Spanish
word: barda
lang: Spanish
word: valla
lang: Spanish
word: seto
lang: Spanish
word: cerco
lang: Spanish
word: cercado
lang: Spanish
word: cercadura
lang: Spanish
word: alambrado
lang: Spanish
word: alambrada
lang: Swahili
word: ua
lang: Swedish
word: staket
lang: Swedish
word: stängsel
lang: Tagalog
word: bakod
lang: Tajik
word: девор
roman: devor
lang: Tajik
word: ҳисор
roman: hisor
lang: Tamil
word: வேலி
roman: vēli
lang: Tarifit
word: afray
lang: Tatar
word: койма
roman: qoyma
lang: Tày
word: ái
lang: Telugu
word: కంచె
roman: kañce
lang: Telugu
word: దడి
roman: daḍi
lang: Thai
word: รั้ว
roman: rúua
lang: Tigrinya
word: ሓጹር
roman: ḥaṣur
lang: Tok Pisin
word: banis
lang: Turkish
word: çit
lang: Turkish
word: duvar
lang: Turkish
word: çeper
lang: Ottoman Turkish
word: چیت
roman: çit
lang: Turkmen
word: haýat
lang: Turkmen
word: aýmança
lang: Tuvan
word: кажаа
roman: kajaa
lang: Ugaritic
word: 𐎂𐎄𐎗𐎚
roman: gdrt
lang: Ukrainian
word: парка́н
roman: parkán
lang: Ukrainian
word: огоро́жа
roman: ohoróža
lang: Ukrainian
word: тин
roman: tyn
lang: Ukrainian
word: пліт
roman: plit
lang: Urdu
word: باڑ
roman: bāṛ
lang: Uyghur
word: قاشا
roman: qasha
lang: Uzbek
word: devor
lang: Uzbek
word: toʻsiq
lang: Vietnamese
word: hàng rào
lang: Vilamovian
word: caojn
lang: Walloon
word: cloteure
lang: Walloon
word: håye di ronxhes
lang: Welsh
word: ffens
lang: Wolaytta
word: dirssaa
lang: Yiddish
word: פּלויט
roman: ployt
lang: Bulgarian
word: фехтувам се
roman: fehtuvam se
lang: Catalan
word: esgrimir
lang: Cornish
word: skyrmya
lang: Czech
word: šermovat
lang: Danish
word: fægte
lang: Esperanto
word: skermi
lang: Estonian
word: vehklema
lang: Finnish
word: miekkailla
lang: Georgian
word: ხმალაობა
roman: xmalaoba
lang: Georgian
word: ფარიკაობა
roman: pariḳaoba
lang: German
word: fechten
lang: Greek
word: ξιφομαχώ
roman: xifomachó
lang: Ido
word: skermar
lang: Irish
word: déan pionsóireacht
lang: Macedonian
word: мечува
roman: mečuva
lang: Macedonian
word: се мечува
roman: se mečuva
lang: Māori
word: tautātete
lang: Polish
word: walczyć na szable
lang: Polish
word: walczyć na szpady
lang: Portuguese
word: esgrimir
lang: Romanian
word: scrima
lang: Russian
word: фехтова́ть
roman: fextovátʹ
lang: Slovene
word: sabljati se
lang: Spanish
word: esgrimir
lang: Swedish
word: fäkta
lang: Welsh
word: cleddyfa