8 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Fence \Fence\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fenced (?); p. pr & vb n.
{Fencing}.]
1. To fend off danger from to give security to to protect;
to guard.
To fence my ear against thy sorceries. --Milton.
2. To inclose with a fence or other protection; to secure by
an inclosure.
O thou wall! . . . dive in the earth, And fence not
Athens. --Shak.
A sheepcote fenced about with olive trees. --Shak.
{To fence the tables} (Scot. Church), to make a solemn
address to those who present themselves to commune at the
Lord's supper, on the feelings appropriate to the service,
in order to hinder, so far as possible, those who are
unworthy from approaching the table. --McCheyne.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Fence \Fence\, n. [Abbrev. from defence.]
1. That which fends off attack or danger; a defense; a
protection; a cover; security; shield.
Let us be backed with God and with the seas, Which
he hath given for fence impregnable. --Shak.
A fence betwixt us and the victor's wrath.
--Addison.
2. An inclosure about a field or other space, or about any
object; especially, an inclosing structure of wood, iron,
or other material, intended to prevent intrusion from
without or straying from within.
Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the fold.
--Milton.
Note: In England a hedge, ditch, or wall, as well as a
structure of boards, palings, or rails, is called a
fence.
3. (Locks) A projection on the bolt, which passes through the
tumbler gates in locking and unlocking.
4. Self-defense by the use of the sword; the art and practice
of fencing and sword play; hence skill in debate and
repartee. See {Fencing}.
Enjoy your dear wit, and gay rhetoric, That hath so
well been taught her dazzing fence. --Milton.
Of dauntless courage and consummate skill in fence.
--Macaulay.
5. A receiver of stolen goods, or a place where they are
received. [Slang] --Mayhew.
{Fence month} (Forest Law), the month in which female deer
are fawning, when hunting is prohibited. --Bullokar.
{Fence roof}, a covering for defense. ``They fitted their
shields close to one another in manner of a fence roof.''
--Holland.
{Fence time}, the breeding time of fish or game, when they
should not be killed.
{Rail fence}, a fence made of rails, sometimes supported by
posts.
{Ring fence}, a fence which encircles a large area, or a
whole estate, within one inclosure.
{Worm fence}, a zigzag fence composed of rails crossing one
another at their ends -- called also {snake fence}, or
{Virginia rail fence}.
{To be on the fence}, to be undecided or uncommitted in
respect to two opposing parties or policies. [Colloq.]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Fence \Fence\, v. i.
1. To make a defense; to guard one's self of anything as
against an attack; to give protection or security, as by a
fence.
Vice is the more stubborn as well as the more
dangerous evil, and therefore, in the first place
to be fenced against. --Locke.
2. To practice the art of attack and defense with the sword
or with the foil, esp. with the smallsword, using the
point only.
He will fence with his own shadow. --Shak.
3. Hence to fight or dispute in the manner of fencers, that
is by thrusting, guarding, parrying, etc
They fence and push and pushing, loudly roar;
Their dewlaps and their sides are bat?ed in gore.
--Dryden.
As when a billow, blown against, Falls back the
voice with which I fenced A little ceased, but
recommenced. --Tennyson.
From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]:
fence
n 1: a barrier that serves to enclose an area [syn: {fencing}]
2: (informal) a dealer in stolen property
v 1: enclose with a fence; "we fenced in our yard" [syn: {fence
in}]
2: receive stolen goods
3: fight with fencing swords
4: surround with a wall in order to fortify [syn: {wall}, {palisade},
{fence in}, {surround}]
5: have an argument about something [syn: {argue}, {contend}, {debate}]
From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:
Fence, WI
Zip code(s): 54120
From Jargon File (4.2.3, 23 NOV 2000) [jargon]:
fence n. 1. A sequence of one or more distinguished
({out-of-band}) characters (or other data items), used to delimit a
piece of data intended to be treated as a unit (the computer-science
literature calls this a `sentinel'). The NUL (ASCII 0000000) character
that terminates strings in C is a fence. Hex FF is also (though slightly
less frequently) used this way See {zigamorph}. 2. An extra data value
inserted in an array or other data structure in order to allow some normal
test on the array's contents also to function as a termination test.
For example, a highly optimized routine for finding a value in an array
might artificially place a copy of the value to be searched for after
the last slot of the array, thus allowing the main search loop to search
for the value without having to check at each pass whether the end of
the array had been reached. 3. [among users of optimizing compilers]
Any technique, usually exploiting knowledge about the compiler, that
blocks certain optimizations. Used when explicit mechanisms are not
available or are overkill. Typically a hack: "I call a dummy procedure
there to force a flush of the optimizer's register-coloring info" can
be expressed by the shorter "That's a fence procedure".
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]:
fence
1. A sequence of one or more distinguished ({out-of-band})
characters (or other data items), used to delimit a piece of
data intended to be treated as a unit (the computer-science
literature calls this a "sentinel"). The NUL (ASCII 0000000)
character that terminates strings in C is a fence. {Hex} FF
is also (though slightly less frequently) used this way See
{zigamorph}.
2. An extra data value inserted in an array or other data
structure in order to allow some normal test on the array's
contents also to function as a termination test. For example,
a highly optimised routine for finding a value in an array
might artificially place a copy of the value to be searched
for after the last slot of the array, thus allowing the main
search loop to search for the value without having to check at
each pass whether the end of the array had been reached.
3. [among users of optimising compilers] Any technique,
usually exploiting knowledge about the compiler, that blocks
certain optimisations. Used when explicit mechanisms are not
available or are overkill. Typically a hack: "I call a dummy
procedure there to force a flush of the optimiser's
register-colouring info" can be expressed by the shorter
"That's a fence procedure".
[{Jargon File}]
(1999-01-08)
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Fence
(Heb. gader), Num. 22:24 (R.V.). Fences were constructions of
unmortared stones, to protect gardens, vineyards, sheepfolds,
etc From various causes they were apt to bulge out and fall
(Ps. 62:3). In Ps 80:12, R.V. (see Isa. 5:5), the psalmist
says, "Why hast thou broken down her fences?" Serpents delight
to lurk in the crevices of such fences (Eccl. 10:8; comp. Amos
5:19).
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