fence
UK[fens]US[fens]
n
A structure like a wall, but made of posts of wood or metal with wire or net between them, used for enclosing an area of land or for preventing animals or people from entering or leaving.
v
To fight with a long thin sword as a sport.
v
To enclose an area with a fence.
Etymology
The word 'fence' originated as a shortened form of the Middle English word 'defens', meaning 'defence'. This truncation process, known as aphesis, saw the loss of the initial unstressed syllable. The core logic connects the concept of a protective barrier (a fence) directly to the idea of defence—a structure that defends or protects an area by marking a boundary or preventing intrusion. Over time, the meaning specialized to refer specifically to the physical barrier, while the verb form also developed from the idea of defending oneself with a sword, leading to the modern sporting sense. The journey from an abstract noun for protection to a concrete noun for a barrier exemplifies semantic narrowing.
Analysis
The word 'fence' is a simplex word derived from a shortened form of 'defence'. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
The garden was surrounded by a tall wooden fence.
He learned to fence at a local sports club.
They decided to fence off the pasture for the new horses.