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fence

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.21 sec.
fence  (fns)
n.
1. A structure serving as an enclosure, a barrier, or a boundary, usually made of posts or stakes joined together by boards, wire, or rails.
2. The art or sport of fencing.
3.
a. One who receives and sells stolen goods.
b. A place where stolen goods are received and sold.
4. Archaic A means of defense; a protection.
v. fenced, fenc·ing, fenc·es
v.tr.
1. To enclose with or as if with a fence. See Synonyms at enclose.
2. To separate or close off by or as if by means of a fence.
3.
a. To ward off; keep away.
b. To defend.
4. To sell (stolen goods) to a fence.
v.intr.
1. To practice the art or sport of fencing.
2. To use tactics similar to the parry and thrust of fencing.
3. To avoid giving direct answers; hedge.
4. To act as a conduit for stolen goods.
Idiom:
on the fence Informal
Undecided as to which of two sides to support; uncommitted or neutral.

[Middle English fens, short for defens, defense; see defense.]

fencer n.

fence
Noun
1. a barrier that encloses an area such as a garden or field, usually made of posts connected by wire rails or boards
2. an obstacle for a horse to jump in steeplechasing or showjumping
3. Slang a dealer in stolen property
4. Machinery a guard or guide, esp. in a circular saw or plane
5. (sit) on the fence (to be) unwilling to commit oneself
Verb
[fencing, fenced]
1. to construct a fence on or around (a piece of land)
2. fence in or off to close in or separate off with or as if with a fence
3. to fight using swords or foils
4. to argue cleverly but evasively: they fenced for a while, weighing each other up [Middle English fens, from defens defence]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.fencefence - a barrier that serves to enclose an area
backstop - (baseball) a fence or screen (as behind home plate) to prevent the ball from traveling out of the playing field
barrier - a structure or object that impedes free movement
chainlink fence - a fence of steel wires woven into a diamond pattern
hedge, hedgerow - a fence formed by a row of closely planted shrubs or bushes
paling, picket fence - a fence made of upright pickets
rail fence - a fence (usually made of split logs laid across each other at an angle)
stone wall - a fence built of rough stones; used to separate fields
wall - a masonry fence (as around an estate or garden); "the wall followed the road"; "he ducked behind the garden wall and waited"
weir - a fence or wattle built across a stream to catch or retain fish
fence line - a boundary line created by a fence
2.fence - a dealer in stolen property
colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech
bargainer, dealer, monger, trader - someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be sold
Verb1.fence - enclose with a fence; "we fenced in our yard"
inclose, shut in, close in, enclose - surround completely; "Darkness enclosed him"; "They closed in the porch with a fence"
2.fence - receive stolen goods
receive, have - get something; come into possession of; "receive payment"; "receive a gift"; "receive letters from the front"
3.fence - fight with fencing swords
fight, struggle, contend - be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight; "the tribesmen fought each other"; "Siblings are always fighting"; "Militant groups are contending for control of the country"
parry, deflect, block - impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball); "block an attack"
4.fence - surround with a wall in order to fortify
protect - shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage; "Weatherbeater protects your roof from the rain"
stockade - surround with a stockade in order to fortify
circumvallate - surround with or as if with a rampart or other fortification
5.fencefence - have an argument about something    
stickle - dispute or argue stubbornly (especially minor points)
spar - fight verbally; "They were sparring all night"
bicker, brabble, pettifog, squabble, quibble, niggle - argue over petty things; "Let's not quibble over pennies"
altercate, argufy, quarrel, scrap, dispute - have a disagreement over something; "We quarreled over the question as to who discovered America"; "These two fellows are always scrapping over something"
oppose - be against; express opposition to; "We oppose the ban on abortion"
converse, discourse - carry on a conversation

fence
noun 1. barrier, wall, defence, guard, railings, paling, shield, hedge, barricade, hedgerow, rampart, palisade, stockade, barbed wire sit on the fence be uncommitted, be uncertain, be undecided, vacillate, be in two minds, blow hot and cold (informal) be irresolute, avoid committing yourself
Translations
fence [fɛns] nvalla, cerca;
(RACING) → valla
vt (also: fence in) → cercar
vihacer esgrima;
to sit on the fence (fig) → nadar entre dos aguas
fence in vtcercar
fence off vtseparar con cerca

fence [fɛns] nbarrière f;
(Sport) → obstacle m;
(inf) (= person); receleur/euse
vt (also: fence in) → clôturer
vifaire de l'escrime;
to sit on the fence (fig) → ne pas se mouiller

fence [fɛns] nZaun m;
(Sport) → Hindernis nt
vt (also: fence in) → einzäunen
vi (Sport) → fechten;
to sit on the fence (fig) → neutral bleiben, nicht Partei ergreifen

fence [fɛns] nrecinto;
(SPORT) → ostacolo;
(col) (person) → ricettatore/trice
vt (also: fence in) → recingere
vischermire;
to sit on the fence (fig) → rimanere neutrale

fence1
n fence [fens]
a line of wooden or metal posts joined by wood, wire etc to stop people, animals etc moving on to or off a piece of land The garden was surrounded by a wooden fence. heining سِياج ограда plot, ohrada hegn; -hegn; stakit; -stakit der Zaun φράχτης valla, cerca (piirde)aed حصار aita clôture גָדֵר बाड़, बाड़ा ograda, plot kerítés pagar girðing recinto さく 울타리 tvora žogs pagar hek gjerde płot cerca gard забор; изгородь plot ograja ograda staket, stängsel รั้ว çit tahta, perde, parmaklık 柵欄;籬笆 огорожа, тин جنگلہ ، باڑ hàng rào
v
to enclose (an area of land) with a fence eg to prevent people, animals etc from getting in We fenced off the field. omhein يُسَيِّج، يَضَعُ سورا ограждам oplotit, ohradit indhegne einzäunen περιφράζω cercar tarastama نرده کشی کردن؛ حصار زدن aidata clôturer לְגָדֵר तलवार का अभ्‍यास करना ograditi bekerít memagari (af)girða recintare 囲う 울타리를 두르다, 막다 (ap)tverti iežogot memagari omheinen gjerde inn ogrodzić cercar a înconjura cu un gard огораживать ohradiť ograditi ograditi inhängna, stängsla ล้อมรั้ว (etrafını) çitle çevirmek 築柵欄防護 обгороджувати گھیرنا، محفوظ کرنا rào lại
n fencing
(the material used for) a fence a hundred metres of fencing. omheiningsmateriaal تَسْييج материал за ограда pletivo hegnsmateriale das Zaunmaterial περίφραξη,υλικό περιφράξεως vallado, cercado aed, aiamaterjal نرده کشی aita, aidakset matériaux pour clôture חוֹמֶר גִידוּר बाड़, बाड़ा materijal za ograde kerítés pagar girðingar recinzione さくの材料 울타리용 재료 tvora žogu materiāls pagar hekwerk gjerdemateriale ogrodzenie cercado material pentru garduri материал для изгородей pletivo ograja ogradnog materijala stängsel วัสดุสำหรับทำรั้ว çit 築柵欄的材料 матеріал для огорожі جنگلہ بنانے کا سامان vật liệu làm hành rào


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They had traveled some distance when suddenly they faced a high fence which barred any further progress straight ahead.
For this fell purpose he had backed the astounded De Vac twice around the hall when, with a clever feint, and backward step, the master of fence drew the King into the position he wanted him, and with the suddenness of lightning, a little twist of his foil sent Henry's weapon clanging across the floor of the armory.
When she had gone several miles she thought she would stop to rest, and so climbed to the top of the fence beside the road and sat down.
 
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