ETYM Abbrev. from defence.
A barrier that serves to enclose an area; SYN. fencing.
Barrier erected to mark a boundary, protect property, or prevent livestock from straying. Fences began to replace earth banks as boundary markers in the 16th century with the creation of the first private parks and small farms. Hedges and dry stone walls are often used as fences.
Early fences were made of rough timber posts and rails, but from the 18th century onward iron railings became available. The production of cheap wire in the 19th century and the invention in the US of barbed wire revolutionized agricultural fencing. Modern rot-proof fencing employs such materials as plastic and concrete. + prikaži više