noun
fence
fehns
noun
1
A barrier, usually made of wood, metal, or wire, marking a boundary or enclosing an area.
"They put up a wooden fence around the garden."
2
A person who buys and resells stolen goods.
"The thief sold the jewelry to a fence he knew downtown."
verb
1
To enclose land with a fence.
"They fenced off the field to keep the sheep in."
2
To compete in the sport of fencing, fighting with swords.
"She fenced competitively all through university."
3
To give evasive or deliberately vague answers to avoid a direct question.
"The senator fenced with reporters for twenty minutes without answering."
How to Use Fence
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often a physical barrier around property; also a criminal who trades in stolen goods, or the sport of sword-fighting.
Common pairings
sit on the fence
mend fences
fence stolen goods
Word Forms
fenced past tense, fences plural, fences singular
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Etymology
A shortening of Middle English "defence" — a fence is, at root, simply a thing that defends or encloses.