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

A 79-year-old woman had driven a vehicle over a curb and hit a fence before plunging over a 20- to 25-foot embankment, according to KTLA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

But executives are betting that for every employee on the fence, there’s a more enthusiastic, AI-savvy colleague who can change their mind.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Iqbal said his main concern after the incident – in which he jumped over a fence to help the family – was the damage he had done to their garden.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Owning a house with a white picket fence?

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

She hopped over the fence and took up a place beside him.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

As this is common land there are no fences.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Tom Ayers, 34, was disappointed to find the fences already up on Monday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

The North Korean dictator has further fortified the border with South Korea in recent years, installing barbed-wire fences and laying land mines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

Wonders abound within the confines of these fences.

From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026

At noon, they rested by the roadside, leaning back against one of the low stone fences that ran all over this countryside.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

Four days after the council vote, Leslie Ridings and Horton of the residents association stood outside the fenced off lot as two men with the group Vincor Construction ambled about driving stakes into the ground.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

"We were afraid, my house is very close, but they told us they would be in a fenced area and then move deep inside the forest," she said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

In the 1990s, city officials fenced off the scenic Palisades Park, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, because too many homeless were camping in it, said Jim Harris, executive director at the Santa Monica Pier Corp.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Large fenced reserves are rare, and leopards frequently move through agricultural and urban-edge landscapes, where conflict with people is common.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 2026

Behind him is the kid I fenced, oak grove imprinted on his uniform.

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

The planned resort was first unveiled in 2024, but the latest wave of protests began after barbed-wire fencing and bulldozers appeared on beaches in late May.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

When they reached Lafayette Park, where the fencing had yet to be removed, they were again disappointed by the obscured view of the White House.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

By the end of the week, the multicolored water had largely turned clear and fencing had started to go up around it in preparation for the July 4 fireworks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

On Tuesday, TMZ posted a video of workers putting up fencing around the pool, ostensibly to protect it from vandals.

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

Help me make the Middlefield Prep fencing team.

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Related Words

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