fence

CEFRA2

/fɛns/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A barrier made of posts, wires, or boards around an area.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Someone who hides or buys and sells stolen goods, a criminal middleman for transactions of stolen goods.

Examples

  • A fence between makes love more keen.

  • The school grounds extend as far as this fence.

At a glance

Sits at A2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • [fɛnts]

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The place whence such a middleman operates.

  2. A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc.

  3. Skill in oral debate.

More examples

In context

  • The two women chatted over the garden fence.

  • There was a weak place in the fence separating the two inclosures

  • […] pray you, if you know, Where in the purlieus of this forest stands A sheep-cote fenc’d about with olive trees?

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The farmer built a tall wooden blank to keep deer out of the cornfield.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

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).