I. fence 1 S3 /fens/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: defense ]
1 . a structure made of wood, metal etc that surrounds a piece of land
2 . a wall or other structure that horses jump over in a race or competition
3 . informal someone who buys and sells stolen goods
4 . sit/be on the fence to avoid saying which side of an argument you support
⇨ mend (your) fences at ↑ mend 1 (4)
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THESAURUS
▪ wall an upright flat structure made of stone or brick, that divides one area from another or surrounds an area:
The estate is surrounded by high stone walls.
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a brick wall
▪ fence a structure made of wood, metal etc that surrounds a piece of land:
The garden was surrounded by an old wooden fence.
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the chain link fence around the school
▪ railings a metal fence that is made of a series of upright bars:
the iron railings in front of the house
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The boy was leaning over the railing on the side of the boat.
▪ barrier a type of fence or gate that prevents people from moving in a particular direction:
A guard stood near the barrier.
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The police had put up barriers to keep the crowd under control.
▪ screen a piece of furniture like a thin wall that can be moved around and is used to divide one part of a room from another:
the screen around his hospital bed
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a Japanese bamboo screen
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a fire screen (=that you put near a fire)
▪ partition a thin wall that separates one part of a room from another:
The room was divided into two by a thin partition.
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The offices are separated by partitions and you can hear everything that is said in the next office.
▪ barricade a line of objects that people have put across a road, to prevent people getting past, especially as part of a protest:
The soldiers used tanks to smash through the barricades.
II. fence 2 BrE AmE verb
1 . [transitive] to put a fence around something:
old farmhouses and fenced gardens
2 . [intransitive] to fight with a long thin sword as a sport
3 . [intransitive + with] to answer someone’s questions in a clever way in order to get an advantage in an argument
fence somebody/something ↔ in phrasal verb
1 . to surround a place with a fence:
The yard was fenced in to keep out wolves.
2 . to make someone feel that they cannot leave a place or do what they want:
Young mothers often feel fenced in at home.
fence something ↔ off phrasal verb
to separate one area from another area with a fence:
a planting area fenced off from the main garden