snake-fencen.
North American.
A fence made of roughly split rails or poles laid in a zigzag fashion; a worm or zigzag fence; = snake rail fence n. at snake n. Compounds 4a.
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the world > space > relative position > closed or shut condition > that which or one who closes or shuts > a barrier > [noun] > hedge or fence > a fence > zig-zag fence
Virginia fence1671
worm-fence1724
snake-fence1805
1805 R. Parkinson Tour Amer. I. i. 48 Snake-fences; which are rails laid with the ends of one upon the other, from eight to sixteen in number in one length.
1830 J. Galt Lawrie Todd III. vii. i. 9 The American regions of stumps and stones, log-houses and snake-fences.
1844 F. Marryat Settlers in Canada 53 A herd of cattle were grazing on a portion of the cleared land; the other was divided off by a snake-fence..and was under cultivation.
1864 C. M. Yonge Trial II. 173 An untidy desolate-looking region, with a rude snake fence.
1887 I. Randall Lady's Ranche Life Montana 61 They are called ‘snake’ fences because they don't go straight, but form an angle, where the poles overlap each other.
1904 C. G. D. Roberts Watchers of Trails 239 The snake fence of split rails which bounded the pasture.
1973 L. Russell Everyday Life Colonial Canada ii. 33 In constructing a snake fence the rails of adjacent bays were overlapped at a wide angle... Such a fence was a zig-zag of bays.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1805