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fence

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fence


  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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