a dealer in stolen property
"The police arrested the man who acted as a fence, selling the stolen jewelry to unsuspecting buyers."
A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or a house perimeter.
"The farmer installed a new wire fence to separate his pasture from the neighbor's field."
In plain English: A fence is a row of posts and boards built to block off an area or keep things inside it.
"The old wooden fence separates our garden from the neighbor's yard."
Usage: As a noun, the word refers to an artificial barrier made of wire mesh, wood, or similar materials used to mark boundaries between properties. When using it as a verb, remember that you must add "a" before the object (e.g., "fence in the garden") because fences are typically constructed from multiple panels rather than being single units like walls.
receive stolen goods
"The suspicious man was arrested after being caught trying to fence the stolen jewelry he had just purchased from the shop owner."
fight with fencing swords
"The two competitors stepped forward to fence against each other in the tournament."
To enclose, contain or separate by building fence.
"The farmer decided to fence his pasture to keep the sheep safely inside."
In plain English: To fence is to move your arms quickly back and forth as if you are trying to hit someone with an imaginary weapon.
"He decided to fence in his garden with tall wood panels last summer."
The word fence comes from Middle English fens, a short form of words meaning "defense," which entered English via Old French. Originally referring to an enclosure, the term later expanded in the 15th century to describe the act of defending or fighting with swords, eventually replacing the native Old English word heġe.