Refine this word faster
Fence
Definitions
- 1 A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc. countable, uncountable
"There was a weak place in the fence separating the two inclosures"
- 2 a barrier that serves to enclose an area wordnet
- 3 Someone who hides or buys and sells stolen goods, a criminal middleman for transactions of stolen goods. countable, informal, uncountable
"The Bat—they called him the Bat.[…]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face."
- 4 a dealer in stolen property wordnet
- 5 The place whence such a middleman operates. broadly, countable, uncountable
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Skill in oral debate. countable, uncountable
- 7 The art or practice of fencing. obsolete, uncountable
"I bruised my shin th' other day with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence"
- 8 A guard or guide on machinery. countable, uncountable
- 9 A barrier, for example an emotional barrier. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"I was in your arms Thinking I belonged there I figured it made sense Building me a fence"
- 10 A memory barrier. countable, uncountable
- 11 The boundary. countable, uncountable
- 1 To enclose, contain or separate by building fence. transitive
"[…] pray you, if you know, Where in the purlieus of this forest stands A sheep-cote fenc’d about with olive trees?"
- 2 have an argument about something wordnet
- 3 To defend or guard. transitive
"Cosin, our hands I hope shall fence our heads, And strike off his that makes you threaten vs."
- 4 surround with a wall in order to fortify wordnet
- 5 To engage in the selling or buying of stolen goods. transitive
"The Bat—they called him the Bat.[…]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 fight with fencing swords wordnet
- 7 To engage in the sport of fencing. intransitive
"Challenges are flying right and left between these bully-swordsmen, these spadassinicides, and poor devils of the robe who have never learnt to fence with anything but a quill."
- 8 enclose with a fence wordnet
- 9 To jump over a fence. intransitive
- 10 receive stolen goods wordnet
- 11 To conceal the truth by giving equivocal answers; to hedge; to be evasive. intransitive
"A lady, sir, as you will find, / Keeps counsel, or she speaks her mind, / Means what she says and scorns to fence / And palter with feigned innocence."
Etymology
From Middle English fence, fens, short for defence, defens (“the act of defending”), from Old French defens, defense (see defence). The sense "enclosure" arises in the mid 15th century. Also from the 15th century is use as a verb in the sense "to enclose with a fence". The generalized sense "to defend, screen, protect" arises ca. 1500. The sense "to fight with swords (rapiers)" is from the 1590s (Shakespeare). Displaced native Old English heġe (compare Modern English hedge).
From Middle English fence, fens, short for defence, defens (“the act of defending”), from Old French defens, defense (see defence). The sense "enclosure" arises in the mid 15th century. Also from the 15th century is use as a verb in the sense "to enclose with a fence". The generalized sense "to defend, screen, protect" arises ca. 1500. The sense "to fight with swords (rapiers)" is from the 1590s (Shakespeare). Displaced native Old English heġe (compare Modern English hedge).
See also for "fence"
Next best steps
Mini challenge
Unscramble this word: fence