fence
part of speech
noun (fence, fences); verb (fence, fences, fenced, fencing)
meaning for a pupil
1) A fence is a wall of wood, metal or wire around a garden or field. tree →
2) To fence something in is to put a fence around it. tree →
3) Fencing is a sport of fighting with long thin swords. tree →
4) A fence can also be a strong defence or protection against harm. tree →
sense in the lessons
Interpretation: A fence in the Torah is a wall beside a path, like the vineyard walls in Balaam's story. The psalms and Job use broken or built-up fences as a picture of God removing protection from a people, and of a person whose way is blocked by suffering. In the primary lessons: a place where birds and storks sit, or a thing built and measured in feet or metres; the length of fence round a field is its perimeter; phrases: «on the fence», «garden fence», «fence posts», «sit on the fence» (not choose a side)
examples
- Then the angel of the LORD stood in a hollow way between the vineyards, a fence being on this side, and a fence on that side. (Torah NUM.22.24, JPS 1917) tree →
- Thou hast broken down all his fences; Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin. (Writings PSA.89.41, JPS 1917) tree →
- He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and hath set darkness in my paths. (Writings JOB.19.8, JPS 1917) tree →
- Why hast Thou broken down her fences, so that all they that pass by the way do pluck her? (Writings PSA.80.13, JPS 1917) tree →
- 3 birds were sitting on the fence. tree →
- He built a fence 40 feet long. tree →
- The fence has 12 posts. tree →
- How many more birds than storks are on the fence? tree →
- The cat jumped over the fence. tree →
- How much fence goes round a field 10 metres by 5 metres? tree →
- Dad painted the fence green. tree →
- Don't climb the fence; it is not safe. tree →
- "Ho, thou firm fence of mine, be thou divided! tree →
note
A place, not usually counted. Trap: the things on the fence are counted, not the fence; a fence's length may be a measure in feet. Trap: a straight fence with N gaps needs N + 1 posts.
In the corpora
- Why hast Thou broken down her fences, so that all they that pass by the way do pluck her?
- Thou hast broken down all his fences; Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.
- He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and hath set darkness in my paths.
- He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him.
- Neighbours sometimes disagree about hedges, fences, noise or rubbish, and most disputes are solved by a friendly chat.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «fence» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.