sunk fence
- noun
- UK
:
valla hundida
- A sunk fence separated the estate from the surrounding fields, maintaining an unbroken view of the landscape.
Examples
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He admired how the sunk fence blended with the grounds, keeping livestock contained without spoiling the scenery.
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The elegant garden design featured a sunk fence instead of a visible wall.
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The sunk fence is beautiful.
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Many farms use sunk fences to separate fields.
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A sunk fence separated the estate from the surrounding fields, maintaining an unbroken view of the landscape.
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The elegant garden design featured a sunk fence instead of a visible wall.
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He admired how the sunk fence blended with the grounds, keeping livestock contained without spoiling the scenery.
Synonyms
A ditch with a low wall that keeps animals away without blocking the view
A hidden ditch that stops animals from coming in and keeps the view open
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward composition of 'sunk' (past participle of sink = set down/into the ground) + 'fence' (a barrier), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a fence that is set down or below ground level. The precise technical description (a ditch with a retaining wall) may be new, but the core notion of a 'sunken/embedded fence' is transparently derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
The name sunk fence comes from the literal idea of a sunk or lowered fence set into a shallow ditch so the top of the barrier sits below the land. So it means 'a ditch with one side made by a low wall used to divide land without spoiling the view'.
