Showing results for "fencing"

• present participle of fence.

fencing

American  

[fen-sing] / ˈfɛn sɪŋ /

noun

fencings plural

1. the art, practice, or sport in which an épée, foil, or saber is used for defense and attack.

2. a parrying of arguments; avoidance of direct answers.

   political fencing on important issues.

3. an enclosure or railing.

4. fences collectively.

5. material for fences.

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fencing British  

/ ˈfɛnsɪŋ /

noun

1. the practice, art, or sport of fighting with swords, esp the sport of using foils, épées, or sabres under a set of rules to score points

2. 1. wire, stakes, etc, used as fences

   2. fences collectively

3. skilful or witty debate

4. the avoidance of direct answers; evasiveness

5. slang the business of buying and selling stolen property

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fencings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fencing

1425–75; late Middle English fensing safeguarding, maintenance. See fence, -ing ¹

Explanation

Fencing is a structure that encloses a yard or area, like the fencing that keeps your dog confined. Another kind of fencing is a sport with long pointy foils that has been popular with Hamlet, Holden Caulfield, and lots of other fancy kids. You might buy enough fencing to close in your whole back yard — it could be made of wood, metal, or even plastic, and this material can also be called fencing. A completely different kind of fencing is the sport that involves combat with sword-like weapons. Fencing started as military training and a way of settling disputes, but it grew into a sport during the 18th century, and is now even included in the Olympics.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fencing fencings

From spring to late summer, they patrol beaches, check on fencing protecting nests and remove any predators such as hedgehogs.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

“You don’t have a sense of ‘land of the free’ here,” said Melissa McFarlane, 61, standing along the fencing on the Mall.

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

Still, barbed-wire fencing and bulldozers appeared on the beach, sparking outrage against the project.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

Instead of fencing, there was a war of the Dozens between Danny the K and me.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia

These word fencings had begun, of course, as a child would naturally have begun them, with the stilted sentences and high-flown remarks which she had lifted from Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

From The Rustle of Silk by Hamilton, Cosmo

His blockings, hedgings, and fencings have spoiled the expanse of hillside and vale in much the same manner as in Albion.

From The Cathedrals of Southern France by Mansfield, M. F. (Milburg Francisco)

The long low stable buildings, the tall white masts and bright yellow flags, numberless white-painted cages, aviaries, outhouses, and the spotless white of the fencings and gateways, all lend it a pleasing individuality.

From The Harmsworth Magazine, v. 1, 1898-1899, No. 2 by Various

The boxings, the rough lumber, the two by fourteen's finished, the dropped sidings and groved roofing, and lath and ceiling and rough fencings and all the rest?

From The White Desert by Fischer, Anton Otto

Which infinitely quickens the shadowy rumorings and Diplomatic fencings of mankind.

From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 11 by Carlyle, Thomas