material for building fences
"The contractor ordered several rolls of metal fencing to enclose the new pasture."
the art or sport of fighting with swords (especially the use of foils or epees or sabres to score points under a set of rules)
"The team practiced fencing every afternoon to master the precise movements needed to win with their foils."
The art or sport of duelling with swords, especially with the 17th- to 18th-century European dueling swords and the practice weapons descended from them (sport fencing)
"The young athlete spent hours practicing her footwork in the local fencing club."
In plain English: Fencing is an old-fashioned sport where people use thin, sharp swords to try and hit each other without getting hurt.
"The new park includes both walking paths and an area for fencing."
Usage: Fencing refers specifically to the modern Olympic sport involving light, flexible blades rather than historical sword fighting. Use this term when discussing athletic competition or training drills instead of general combat with sharp steel weapons.
present participle of fence
"The injured man was fencing off his property to keep the stray dogs away."
In plain English: To fence means to fight with swords as if you are competing in a sport.
"They started fencing with their swords during the medieval tournament."
The word fencing comes from Middle English, where it originally meant the act of using a fence. It is formed by combining the noun fence with the suffix -ing.