Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

on the fence

 - 5 dictionary results
Fencing Estimates
Find 5-Star Rated Fence Pros All Backed by Our Service Guarantee!
www.ServiceMagic.com
The New Choice in Fencing
CaliBamboo™ Fences Have Arrived! Green Durable Beautiful Economic
www.CaliBamboo.com

fence

  [fens] noun, verb, fenced, fenc⋅ing.
Use on the fence in a Sentence
–noun
1. a barrier enclosing or bordering a field, yard, etc., usually made of posts and wire or wood, used to prevent entrance, to confine, or to mark a boundary.
2. Informal. a person who receives and disposes of stolen goods.
3. the place of business of such a person.
4. the act, practice, art, or sport of fencing.
5. skill in argument, repartee, etc.
6. Machinery. a guard or guide, as for regulating the movements of a tool or work.
7. Carpentry. a slotted guide used esp. with a framing square to lay out cuts on rafters and staircase strings.
8. Archaic. a means of defense; a bulwark.
–verb (used with object)
9. to enclose by some barrier, establishing exclusive right to possession: to fence a farm.
10. to separate by or as by a fence or fences (often fol. by in, off, out, etc.): to fence off a corner of one's yard; to fence out unwholesome influences.
11. to defend; protect; guard: The president was fenced by bodyguards wherever he went.
12. to ward off; keep out.
13. Informal. to sell (stolen goods) to a fence.
14. Nautical. to reinforce (an opening in a sail or the like) by sewing on a grommet or other device.
–verb (used without object)
15. to practice the art or sport of fencing.
16. to parry arguments; strive to avoid giving direct answers; hedge: The mayor fenced when asked if he would run again.
17. (of a horse) to leap over a fence.
18. Obsolete. to raise a defense.
—Idioms
19. mend one's fences, to strengthen or reestablish one's position by conciliation or negotiation: One could tell by his superficially deferential manner that he was trying to mend his fences.
20. on the fence, uncommitted; neutral; undecided: The party leaders are still on the fence.
Origin:
1300–50; ME fens, aph. for defens defense

Related forms:
fencelike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To on the fence
Fencing Estimates
Find 5-Star Rated Fence Pros All Backed by Our Service Guarantee!
www.ServiceMagic.com
The New Choice in Fencing
CaliBamboo™ Fences Have Arrived! Green Durable Beautiful Economic
www.CaliBamboo.com
fence   (fěns)   
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.

    1. One who receives and sells stolen goods.

    2. 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.

    1. To ward off; keep away.

    2. 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.


[Middle English fens, short for defens, defense; see defense.]
fenc'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

fence  (v.)
"fight with swords," 1598, first recorded in "Merry Wives of Windsor"; from the noun in this sense (1533), see fence (n.). Fencing is from 1581. In spite of the re-enactment in 1285 of the Assize of Arms of 1181, fencing was regarded as unlawful in England. The keeping of fencing schools was forbidden in the City of London, "as fools who delight in mischief do learn to fence with buckler, and thereby are encouraged in their follies."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Financial Dictionary

fence

An investment position consisting of being long (or short) a stock or commodity, being long (or short) an out-of-the-money put, and being short (or long) an out-of-the-money call. Both options have the same expiration date.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: fence
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: fenced; fenc·ing
1 a : to enclose with a fence b : to keep in or out with a fence
2 : to sell (stolen property) to a fence
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see on the fence on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way