fencer

American  

[fen-ser] / ˈfɛn sər /

noun

1. a person who practices the art of fencing with a sword, foil, etc.

2. a person who fences.

3. a horse trained to jump barriers, as for show or sport.

4. Australian. a person who builds or repairs fences.

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fencer British  

/ ˈfɛnsə /

noun

1. a person who fights with a sword, esp one who practises the art of fencing

2. a person who erects and repairs fences

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Etymology

Origin of fencer

First recorded in 1565–75; fence + -er ¹

Explanation

A fencer is someone who participates in the sport of fencing, or sword fighting. Fencers are among the athletes who compete in the Olympics every four years. If you become a fencer, you'll learn all the rules and strategy behind dueling with rapiers or swords. Fencers wear special gear, including protective jackets, short pants, gloves, and masks. The word fencer comes from the verb fence, "defend oneself," from the noun fence, "fortification," a shortened form of defense.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fencer

With Madonna to his right and Rihanna on his left, the London-born American fencer was the unexpected filling in a pop royalty sandwich.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

Mattel has recreated a host of sporting figures as Barbie dolls, including American Olympic champion gymnast Gabby Douglas, fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, snowboarder Chloe Kim and golfer Lorena Ochoa.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2025

Aleks Ochocki, a national team coach, saw the fencer occasionally struggle to keep up with this schedule.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2024

Weber, a Long Island native who went to the University of Pennsylvania, was a world-class fencer, said Jeff Salmon, who knew him from the time they were boys through various fencing competitions.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 12, 2023

Daria was a strong fencer who had just missed a chance to compete in the 2008 Olympics but who had done really well on the college circuit, competing for Columbia University.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad