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ucing sedge, coarse grasses, or other aquatic plants; boggy land; moor; marsh. 'Mid reedy fens wide spread. Wordsworth.

The mole cricket. [Prov. Eng.]

Sucked out of marches. "Fen-sucked fogs." Shak.

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.

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 ra…

Affording defense; defensive. [Obs.] Congreve.

Without a fence; uninclosed; open; unguarded; defenseless. Milton.

One who fences; one who teaches or practices the art of fencing with sword or foil. As blunt as the fencer's foils. Shak.

Capable of being defended, or of making or affording defense. [Obs.] No fort so fencible, nor walls so strong. Spenser.

A soldier enlisted for home service only; -- usually in the pl.

The art or practice of attack and defense with the sword, esp. with the s,allword. See Fence, v. i., 2.

to prevent from entering or hitting; to ward off; to shut out; -- often with off; as, to fend off blows. With fern beneath to fend the bitter cold. Dryden. To fend off a boat or vessel (Naut.), to prevent its running against anything with too much violence.

One who or that which defends or protects by warding off harm; as:

Fiendlike. [Obs.] Chaucer.

To put money to usury; to lend on interest. [Obs.] Cockeram.

The act of fenerating; interest. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Any small windowlike opening or recess, esp. one to show the relics within an altar, or the like.

A small opening; esp., one of the apertures, closed by membranes, between the tympanum and internal ear.

Of or pertaining to a fenestra.

Having numerous openings; irregularly reticulated; as, fenestrate membranes; fenestrate fronds.