fences
fences — noun
- fencessingular
- fencesesplural
1. A structure made of wood, metal, or wire, held up by posts, that separates one p
A structure made of wood, metal, or wire, held up by posts, that separates one piece of land from another and keeps people or animals in or out.
Amara painted the wooden fence around her vegetable garden bright white.
collocation: wooden fence / painted the fence
The old fence between the two farms finally fell down in the storm.
fence between [two places]
Kwame leaned against the wire fence and watched the horses run across the field.
A small brown rabbit squeezed through a hole in the garden fence.
Their new neighbours put up a tall fence to give themselves more privacy.
- barrier
more general — can be natural or abstract, not necessarily a built structure
- wall
solid and usually made of brick or stone, not open like a fence
- railing
a metal bar barrier, often for safety on stairs or balconies rather than enclosing land
- hedge
a living barrier made of bushes or shrubs, not a built structure
用法筆記
Subject is usually a physical object made of wood, wire, or metal. Distinguish from a wall, which is solid and made of brick or stone, and a hedge, which is made of living plants.
2. A criminal who buys stolen items and then sells them on to other people, making
A criminal who buys stolen items and then sells them on to other people, making money from theft without directly stealing anything themselves.
The police watched the known fence for weeks before finally making the arrest.
collocation: known fence
Dimitri discovered too late that the cheap phone he bought online came from a fence.
The stolen jewellery passed through several fences before it reached the foreign buyer.
Detectives traced the missing paintings back to a fence operating out of a small shop.
- receiver
more formal legal term for someone who handles stolen property
- trafficker
broader term — covers all illegal goods, not just stolen ones
用法筆記
Always refers to a person, not a place. Do not confuse with noun sense 1. Common in crime reporting and detective stories.
常見錯誤
fences — verb
- fencespresent simple I / you / we / they
- fenceses3rd person singular
- fencesing-ing form
- fencesedpast simple
1. To take part in the sport of fencing, in which two competitors try to touch each
To take part in the sport of fencing, in which two competitors try to touch each other with the tip of a light, flexible blade to score points.
Fatima has been fencing since she was eight and now trains with the national team.
present perfect continuous: has been fencing
The two athletes fenced for nearly an hour before the final point was scored.
past simple: fenced for [duration]
Joaquín learned to fence at university and quickly fell in love with the sport.
Byung-ho fences three times a week at a club near the city centre.
The coach showed the beginners how to fence without getting too close to each other.
用法筆記
Always refers to the organised sport using a foil, épée, or sabre. The fencers wear protective masks and white jackets. Do not confuse with historical sword fighting or duelling.
常見錯誤
2. To put a fence around a piece of land so that it is closed off from the area aro
To put a fence around a piece of land so that it is closed off from the area around it.
The farmer fenced the whole field to stop sheep from wandering onto the road.
transitive: fenced + object
The family decided to fence their backyard before they got a dog.
to-infinitive after 'decided': decided to fence
Local residents fenced off the dangerous old well to keep children safe.
The park was fenced in last summer after complaints from nearby homeowners.
Sunita had to fence the vegetable patch because rabbits kept eating the lettuce.
文法句型
fence + off
fence + in
fence + around
用法筆記
Often used with a particle: 'fence off' (separate one area from another), 'fence in' (enclose completely), or 'fence around' (surround). Subject is usually a person or group who builds the fence.
常見錯誤
3. To illegally sell goods that have been stolen, acting as a middle person between
To illegally sell goods that have been stolen, acting as a middle person between the thieves and the final buyers.
The gang used the shop to fence stolen electronics from burglaries across the city.
to-infinitive of purpose: used the shop to fence
Soren was arrested for fencing antique clocks taken from a museum in the capital.
gerund after preposition: arrested for fencing
Police believe the suspect fenced the stolen watches through an online marketplace.
The thieves needed someone to fence the jewellery before they could leave the country.
用法筆記
Object must be stolen goods (jewellery, electronics, art, etc.). Related to noun sense 2 — the person who does this is called 'a fence.' Rare in everyday conversation; mostly appears in crime fiction and news reports.
常見錯誤
4. To avoid answering a question directly by talking around the subject or giving c
To avoid answering a question directly by talking around the subject or giving clever but deliberately vague replies.
The minister fenced with reporters for twenty minutes without giving a single clear answer.
fenced with [people] + duration
When Ananya asked about the missing money, her brother fenced and changed the subject.
Journalists grew frustrated as the spokesperson fenced around every direct question.
During the interview, Rashid fenced skilfully, never admitting to any of the claims.
Stop fencing and tell us what really happened at the office yesterday.
文法句型
fence + with [person]
fence + around [topic]
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 5 (arguing): this sense is about evasion and avoiding answers, not about having a real disagreement. Common in political journalism.
常見錯誤
5. To argue or quarrel with someone, usually about something fairly small or unimpo
To argue or quarrel with someone, usually about something fairly small or unimportant.
The siblings fenced over whose turn it was to do the washing-up.
fenced over [disputed matter]
Hugo and his flatmate fenced endlessly about the heating bill every winter.
fenced about [topic] + frequency
The two politicians fenced in the debate, each trying to score points off the other.
Mei fenced with her parents about her plans to travel alone after graduation.
- agree
to have the same opinion rather than opposing views
文法句型
fence + about [topic]
fence + over [topic]
fence + with [person]
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 4 (dodging questions): this sense involves a real disagreement where both sides express opposing views. Mainly British English.