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

Kim also said the fence was not intended to remain indefinitely.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

So if you’ve been on the fence about which membership is right given the maze of checkpoint lanes, consider this your refresher course.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

One of the most memorable photographs on view was taken by Jeanne-Claude, printed large and picturing a wide expanse of landscape, with cows grazing near the fence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

They then ran to a house and started to dismantle a fence.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

Lloyd was chunking rocks at fence posts and diving in and out of the ditch with J.W.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

He batted against Hall-of-Famers, frequently slammed face-first into outfield fences and experienced the pressure cooker of the postseason.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The charity said careful monitoring, in partnership with the farmers on whose land the birds nested, meant the nests were protected by fences to exclude ground predators such as foxes.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

It also agreed to give homeowners extra time to comply with more onerous requirements, such as upgrading or replacing wooden fences and sheds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

"We moved our cows, and opened up all our fences to give them access," said the 54-year-old.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

There were chain-link fences with razor wire, iron bars on windows, and graffiti covering the wall of an abandoned warehouse.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

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

There is also a sizable swimming pool overlooking a fenced, lighted tennis court, as well as a serene pond with a charming bridge pathway running over it.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

But many cannot survive in the true wild, where large-scale predator control remains an endless battle, and are instead sent to fenced nature reserves, themselves high-maintenance undertakings facing problems like in-breeding and overpopulation.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

By the will of the people, the coast was enshrined in state law as a precious public asset accessible to the many, not a private playground fenced off for the few.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 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

Our U.S. employees turn bare metal into products like aircraft components, fencing, windows, accessibility ramps, truck bodies, solar racking and thousands of other products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

The initial proposal called for green wrought-iron fencing around both sides of MacArthur Park, with gates at eight existing entry and exit points.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

"We used to lay electric fencing before the GPS collars came in," he added.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Nearby fields were littered with broken deckchairs, scraps of fiberglass insulation and pieces of wire fencing ripped apart by the fierce winds that struck the village and its surroundings.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Nearby are saplings, each young tree bordered by fencing to protect it.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

Related Words

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