fence
Americannoun
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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.
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Informal. a person who receives and disposes of stolen goods.
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the place of business of such a person.
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the act, practice, art, or sport of fencing.
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skill in argument, repartee, etc.
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Machinery. a guard or guide, as for regulating the movements of a tool or work.
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Carpentry. a slotted guide used especially with a framing square to lay out cuts on rafters and staircase strings.
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Archaic. a means of defense; a bulwark.
verb (used with object)
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to enclose by some barrier, establishing exclusive right to possession.
to fence a farm.
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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.
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to defend; protect; guard.
The president was fenced by bodyguards wherever he went.
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to ward off; keep out.
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Informal. to sell (stolen goods) to a fence.
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Nautical. to reinforce (an opening in a sail or the like) by sewing on a grommet or other device.
verb (used without object)
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to practice the art or sport of fencing.
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to parry arguments; strive to avoid giving direct answers; hedge.
The mayor fenced when asked if he would run again.
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(of a horse) to leap over a fence.
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Obsolete. to raise a defense.
idioms
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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.
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on the fence, uncommitted; neutral; undecided.
The party leaders are still on the fence.
noun
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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
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slang a dealer in stolen property
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an obstacle for a horse to jump in steeplechasing or showjumping
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machinery a guard or guide, esp in a circular saw or plane
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a projection usually fitted to the top surface of a sweptback aircraft wing to prevent movement of the airflow towards the wing tips
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to restore a position or reputation that has been damaged, esp in politics
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to re-establish friendly relations (with someone)
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unable or unwilling to commit oneself
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informal unreasonable, unfair, or unjust
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to be unable or unwilling to commit oneself
verb
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(tr) to construct a fence on or around (a piece of land, etc)
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(tr; foll by in or off) to close (in) or separate (off) with or as if with a fence
he fenced in the livestock
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(intr) to fight using swords or foils
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(intr) to evade a question or argument, esp by quibbling over minor points
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(intr) to engage in skilful or witty debate, repartee, etc
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slang (intr) to receive stolen property
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archaic (tr) to ward off or keep out
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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outfenceverb (used with object)
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refenceverb (used with object)
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unfenceverb (used with object)
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fencelessadjective
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fencelikeadjective
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well-fencedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fencesimple
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fencessimple
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have fencedperfect
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has fencedperfect
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am fencingprogressive
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are fencingprogressive
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is fencingprogressive
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have been fencingperfect progressive
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has been fencingperfect progressive
Past
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fencedsimple
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had fencedperfect
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was fencingprogressive
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were fencingprogressive
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had been fencingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing fence
"The History Teacher" by Billy Collins
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"Saying Yes" and "A Lion Hunt"
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Unit 9
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
The first free-hit was heaved over cow corner for six, the second free-hit was swatted over long-on to bring up a 39-ball half-century and another maximum was slotted over the leg-side fence.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Owning a house with a white picket fence?
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
She was her usual calm self, her spine as straight as a fence post and her gait regal like Queen Victoria.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
"I took responsibility for damaging some of their fences because I was trying to break them open. They said 'no, don't worry about it, we'll sort it out'," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Camels in the outback compete with stock for food, destroy fences, foul waterholes and damage Indigenous cultural sites, authorities say.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
Fifty years and thousands of runs later, six of the original players still take to the diamond nearly every Sunday, swinging for the fences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 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
“He needs to work. Ain’t no time for moping when horses need feeding and fences need mending.”
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
"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
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
There is also a fenced garden in the backyard, ideal for those who want to grow fruit or vegetables.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 10, 2026
Chickens roam a fenced enclosure, laying eggs that appear in dishes at Sunday brunch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
Kyle couldn’t move closer to examine the screen, because the area fifteen feet in front of it had been fenced off with a series of brass poles and velvet ropes.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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
"I was going to try and make her flinch, so I leaned forward like I was fencing," he said.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
The sound of fencing blades clashing and loud chatter filled the room.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
