rail fence
1
4.3
- noun
- /reɪl fɛns/
- US
:
valla de troncos
- And we added a split rail fence.
- a split rail fence
- a buck rail fence
- a white rail fence
Examples
-
A well-maintained split rail fence marked the boundary between the fields and the woods.
-
He went to the boundary out by the road and leaned on the rail fence for a while, watching the cows.
Fiction book (1997) -
The remains of an old rail fence lay beside one of the boulders.
Fiction book (1990) -
Now, even the front split-rail fence bordering High Point Farm was falling down in sections.
Fiction book (1997) -
The rail fences were neat and in excellent repair, and as he passed the barn's open door, Nathan saw everything was in its place.
Fiction book (1990) -
He let his eyes scan the split-rail fence that bordered the cornfield.
Fiction book (1990) -
The only sounds were the long-drawn late summer rattle of locusts and the chirp of crickets from the meadow beyond the split-rail fence that divided it from the lawn.
Fiction book (1990) -
The children climbed over the split rail fence to explore the pasture on the other side.
-
As we walked along the trail, we admired the beautiful split rail fence that surrounded the farm.
Synonyms
567
1.0
A structure around land to mark or protect it
1
4.8
A fence made from split logs stacked horizontally in a zigzag
A low wooden fence made of rails in a zigzag that marks a border
A low wooden rail barrier that forms a zigzag pattern to mark or enclose land
A fence made of wooden rails laid in a zigzag pattern
A wooden fence made of rails laid in a zigzag pattern without posts
How Sturdy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a fence constructed from rails' is directly and compositionally derived from 'rail' (a horizontal bar) + 'fence' (a barrier), so the compound denotes a fence made of rails. This noun–noun composition is a transparent, literal naming pattern common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
Rail fence comes from the simple farm fence made by laying long wooden rails across each other in a zigzag or straight line. That clear image of split logs stacked to 'keep animals in' is why the name means this kind of wooden fence.