# fence

> English word · Noun · IPA /fɛns/ · frequency rank #5,037

## Definitions
1. A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc.
2. Someone who hides or buys and sells stolen goods, a criminal middleman for transactions of stolen goods.
3. The place whence such a middleman operates.
4. Skill in oral debate.
5. The art or practice of fencing.
6. A guard or guide on machinery.
7. A barrier, for example an emotional barrier.
8. A memory barrier.
9. The boundary.

## Etymology
From Middle English fence, fens, short for defence, defens (“the act of defending”), from Old French defens, defense (see defence).
The sense "enclosure" arises in the mid 15th century.
Also from the 15th century is use as a verb in the sense "to enclose with a fence". The generalized sense "to defend, screen, protect" arises ca. 1500. The sense "to fight with swords (rapiers)" is from the 1590s (Shakespeare).
Displaced native Old English heġe (compare Modern English hedge).

## Easily confused with
- **FNC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-fnc)
- **fine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-fine)
- **feng** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-feng)
- **fend** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-fend)
- **fete** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-fete)
- **Fenn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-fenn)
- **force** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-force)
- **fetch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-fetch)
- **finch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-finch)
- **French** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-french)
- **France** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-france)
- **fierce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-fierce)
- **fiancé** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-fiance)
- **fender** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-fender)
- **fleece** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-fleece)
- **fennel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fence-vs-fennel)
- **fee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fee-vs-fence)
- **FEC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fec-vs-fence)
- **fen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fen-vs-fence)
- **face** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/face-vs-fence)

## Common misspellings (8)
`efnce`, `fance`, `fecne`, `fencce`, `fenec`, `fennce`, `ffence`, `fnece`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/fence