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• fender
  fender

  noun

  the pressed and formed sheet-metal part mounted over the road wheels of an automobile, bicycle, etc., to reduce the splashing of mud, water, and the like.
• Fender
  Fender

  noun

  a type of solid-body electric guitar

fender

American  

[fen-der] / ˈfɛn dər /

noun

• fenders
  plural

1. the pressed and formed sheet-metal part mounted over the road wheels of an automobile, bicycle, etc., to reduce the splashing of mud, water, and the like.

2. a device on the front of a locomotive, streetcar, or the like, for clearing the track of obstructions.

3. a mudguard or splashboard on a horse-drawn vehicle.

4. Nautical. a piece of timber, bundle of rope, or the like, hung over the side of a vessel to lessen shock or prevent chafing, as between the vessel and a dock or another vessel.

5. a low metal guard before an open fireplace, to keep back falling coals.

6. a person or thing that wards something off.

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fender ¹ British  

/ ˈfɛndə /

noun

1. a low metal frame which confines falling coals to the hearth

2. a metal frame fitted to the front of locomotives to absorb shock, clear the track, etc

3. a cushion-like device, such as a car tyre hung over the side of a vessel to reduce damage resulting from accidental contact or collision

4. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): wing.  the part of a car body that surrounds the wheels

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Fender ² British  

/ ˈfɛndə /

noun

1. a type of solid-body electric guitar

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fendered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fenders
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fender

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fendour, aphetic variant of defendour defender ( def. )

Explanation

A fender is the part of a car that protects and frames its wheels and keeps mud from splashing it. Most modern vehicles have fenders on their front wheels. When you get into a minor car accident, you can call it a "fender bender," and it's possible that your fenders did get slightly dented. Another kind of fender guards or protects a ship, train, or streetcar; in the case of a train, this is also called a "cowcatcher," and it can actually push debris off the track to keep the train from hitting it. This 13th century word is a shortened form of defender.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fender Fender fenders

Netta Levy, an eldercare adviser and founder of LifeCare Concierge, recently had a driving discussion with her mom, after a few fender benders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

A video from OnScene.TV showed officers standing around a black Cadillac sedan with its front passenger headlight and fender destroyed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026

And this latest fender bender might be the one that finally illuminates dashboard warning lights for those bosses who have always so hastily turned to Woods in the past.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026

Then, when I departed said strip mall and made a left-hand turn across four lanes of traffic, I hit another car—it was worse than a fender bender, but no one was hurt.

From Slate ● May 12, 2024

Their paths wishboned, Otto aiming for the gap at the front fender of a big old frozen SUV, Sheed taking the gap at the back bumper.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

Or perhaps he’s aware that the heartland rock style he helped pioneer is back in vogue thanks to acts like Sam Fender and the War on Drugs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

And now Rein Me In, the melodic love song by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean, has officially broken the longest standing record in British music history.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Fender, who originally released the track on his third solo album more than a year ago, said watching the song break chart records has "been ridiculous" and "an excuse to party".

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

A Fender bass guitar Frank got when he was 11 years old, and his late father’s tools, were also lost.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

Ms. Fender was so mad she was shaking.

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee

The thin aluminum sheets produced at the plant are later stamped into fenders, hoods and other exterior vehicle parts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

In both cases, the fenders absorbed and deflected the energy, but the 2007 collision, with an oil tanker, damaged the fenders and the ship, causing it to spill more than 53,000 gallons of oil.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2025

But if the bridge is rebuilt with fenders or dolphins to improve safety, no such exemption will apply.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 2, 2024

It also appears the bridge did not have "fenders" - an added layer of protection around a bridge pier - that could have absorbed some of the impact.

From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2024

A long sleek black car, its fenders glinting like glass in the sun, shot past them at high speed and turned a corner a few blocks away.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

Related Words

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