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Synonyms

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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

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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:

Not only did she secure the title in women’s team foil, she also helped teammate Lee Kiefer earn a record third career gold, most ever for an American fencer.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 1, 2024

Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez has revealed she competed at the Paris Olympics on Monday while seven months pregnant.

From BBC Jul. 29, 2024

Chaves’ coach, Eduardo Nunes, says the fencer will face trouble beyond the mental stress and the unexpectedly long trip in his attempt to qualify for the Paralympics.

From Seattle Times May 9, 2024

At Rio 2016, fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad made headlines when she became the first American to compete at the Olympics while wearing a headscarf.

From BBC Apr. 15, 2024

If I wasn’t Ibtihaj Muhammad the fencer, who was I?

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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