fence

American  

[fens] / fɛns /

noun

• fences
  plural

1. 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.

2. Informal. a person who receives and disposes of stolen goods.

3. the place of business of such a person.

4. the act, practice, art, or sport of fencing.

5. skill in argument, repartee, etc.

6. Machinery. a guard or guide, as for regulating the movements of a tool or work.

7. Carpentry. a slotted guide used especially with a framing square to lay out cuts on rafters and staircase strings.

8. Archaic. a means of defense; a bulwark.

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verb (used with object)

• fences,
  present (3rd person singular)
• fenced,
  past participle,  past
• fencing
  present participle

1. to enclose by some barrier, establishing exclusive right to possession.

   to fence a farm.

2. 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.

3. to defend; protect; guard.

   The president was fenced by bodyguards wherever he went.

4. to ward off; keep out.

5. Informal. to sell (stolen goods) to a fence.

6. Nautical. to reinforce (an opening in a sail or the like) by sewing on a grommet or other device.

verb (used without object)

• fences,
  present (3rd person singular)
• fenced,
  past participle,  past
• fencing
  present participle

1. to practice the art or sport of fencing.

2. to parry arguments; strive to avoid giving direct answers; hedge.

   The mayor fenced when asked if he would run again.

3. (of a horse) to leap over a fence.

4. Obsolete. to raise a defense.

idioms

1. 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.

2. on the fence, uncommitted; neutral; undecided.

   The party leaders are still on the fence.

fence British  

/ fɛns /

noun

1. 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

2. slang a dealer in stolen property

3. an obstacle for a horse to jump in steeplechasing or showjumping

4. machinery a guard or guide, esp in a circular saw or plane

5. a projection usually fitted to the top surface of a sweptback aircraft wing to prevent movement of the airflow towards the wing tips

6. 1. to restore a position or reputation that has been damaged, esp in politics

   2. to re-establish friendly relations (with someone)

7. unable or unwilling to commit oneself

8. informal unreasonable, unfair, or unjust

9. to be unable or unwilling to commit oneself

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verb

1. (tr) to construct a fence on or around (a piece of land, etc)

2. (tr; foll by in or off) to close (in) or separate (off) with or as if with a fence

   he fenced in the livestock

3. (intr) to fight using swords or foils

4. (intr) to evade a question or argument, esp by quibbling over minor points

5. (intr) to engage in skilful or witty debate, repartee, etc

6. slang (intr) to receive stolen property

7. archaic (tr) to ward off or keep out

fence More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing fence

• mend one's fences
• on the fence
• straddle the fence

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• outfence
  verb (used with object)
• refence
  verb (used with object)
• unfence
  verb (used with object)
• fenceless
  adjective
• fencelike
  adjective
• well-fenced
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fences
  plural

Participles

• fencing
  present
• fenced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• fence
  simple
• fences
  simple
• have fenced
  perfect
• has fenced
  perfect
• am fencing
  progressive
• are fencing
  progressive
• is fencing
  progressive
• have been fencing
  perfect progressive
• has been fencing
  perfect progressive

Past

• fenced
  simple
• had fenced
  perfect
• was fencing
  progressive
• were fencing
  progressive
• had been fencing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will fence
  simple
• will have fenced
  perfect
• will be fencing
  progressive
• will have been fencing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of fence

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English fens, shortening of defens “(means of) fortification, resistance, defense”; see origin at defense

Explanation

A fence is a usually wooden or metal structure that encloses a yard, pasture, or other area. Many people with back yard swimming pools put fences around them to make sure small children don't fall in. The difference between a fence and a wall is that you can almost always see through a fence, at least to some degree, while a wall is solid. You can use fence as a verb too: "I think I'll fence my yard in, because my chickens keep wandering off." If someone calls you a fence, though, they mean you're selling stolen goods, and if you fence professionally, you participate in the sword fighting sport of fencing.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fence fences fenced fencing

After searches by the MDP and Cambridgeshire Constabulary, a small breach of a perimeter fence was identified a few hours later.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

He stayed back on a fastball and crushed it to deep left field, on a trajectory to just clear the short fence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Abdullah Albadri was carrying two knives when police officers caught him as he tried to climb over a fence into the Kensington embassy on 28 April 2025.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The impact has damaged her fence and windows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

I was beginning to worry when he rocketed out from under a fence ahead of us and down the lane, barking his head off.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Renderings introducing the project never showed the walls and fences that now cover the plaza’s perimeter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Along the boundary with China, Kim's government has erected fences and installed cameras as well as strips of sand that preserve the footprints of anyone who crosses.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Clearly, the fences weren't robust enough, and that is exactly what she says we are seeing with AI guardrails right now.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Such materials could improve protection for cultural heritage sites, cars, major structures, and even ordinary garden fences.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

His father’s in charge of maintenance for the Park, and their family lives in one of the old servants’ cottages on the grounds—they’re the only family living inside the fences.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Their sites are bare ground, fenced off from the outside.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

A video from the scene released by prosecutors shows animals doubled up in cages, barking and frightened, and over a dozen cats held in a fenced area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

It is fenced in and gilded, with literal gold.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

The issue is that once-free premium features are fenced off at higher prices, and the more-cost-effective options work nowhere near as well.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

Coach Mustilli had a way of making each of us feel equally valuable, whether we fenced, cheered, or kept score.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

"The acquisition of The Turf is a continuation of the strategy to protect the future of the club and its interests by ring fencing key areas related to the life of the club."

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

We got out at the northwestern edge of the lagoon, where there are swaths of land that have been churned up by heavy machinery, stretches of gravel, and remnants of fencing.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

Homendy said she walked the path of destruction, seeing the tire marks cut through the grass outside the runway—and navigation equipment, air bags and fencing strewn over the area.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

The department said fencing the space would allow the city better access to manage the park and oversee the property when it’s closed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

After an explanation about the three different types of fencing weapons—épée, saber, and foil—we were told to select one we thought we’d like to try.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Related Words

• bar
• barbed wire
• barricade
• block
• dike
• net
• rail
• railing
• roadblock
• wall