"fence sitter" meaning in All languages combined

See fence sitter on Wiktionary

Noun [English]

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-NaomiAmethyst-fence sitter.wav Forms: fence sitters [plural], fence-sitter [alternative], fencesitter [alternative]
Etymology: From fence + sitter, from the verb sit on the fence. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|fence|sitter}} fence + sitter Head templates: {{en-noun}} fence sitter (plural fence sitters)
  1. One who takes neither side of an argument or controversy, but maintains a neutral position. Translations (one maintaining neutral position): 牆頭草 /墙头草 (qiángtóucǎo) (Chinese Mandarin), neŭtralisto (Esperanto), attendista [feminine, masculine] (Italian), 회색분자 (hoesaekbunja) (Korean), "em cima do muro" (Portuguese), наблюдатель (nabljudatelʹ) [masculine] (Russian), "моя хата с краю" (moja xata s kraju) [idiomatic] (Russian), (passiv) åskådare [common-gender] (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-fence_sitter-en-noun-aQldwOX- Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, People Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 55 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 47 53 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 45 55 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 45 55 Disambiguation of People: 49 51 Disambiguation of 'one maintaining neutral position': 77 23
  2. (potentially offensive) One who is bisexual, or who is uncertain about their sexual orientation. Synonyms: bisexual, bi, switch hitter, fence sitter, fence-straddler Related terms: draadsitter, fence-sitting, on the fence
    Sense id: en-fence_sitter-en-noun-NDeM8v~B Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Esperanto translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Korean translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Swedish translations, LGBTQ, People Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 55 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 47 53 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 45 55 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 45 55 Disambiguation of Terms with Esperanto translations: 44 56 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 44 56 Disambiguation of Terms with Korean translations: 43 57 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 43 57 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 45 55 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 44 56 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 43 57 Disambiguation of LGBTQ: 19 81 Disambiguation of People: 49 51

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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      "args": {
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        "3": "sitter"
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      "expansion": "fence + sitter",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From fence + sitter, from the verb sit on the fence.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fence sitters",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fence-sitter",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fencesitter",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "fence sitter (plural fence sitters)",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
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          "_dis": "45 55",
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          "_dis": "45 55",
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        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One who takes neither side of an argument or controversy, but maintains a neutral position."
      ],
      "id": "en-fence_sitter-en-noun-aQldwOX-",
      "links": [
        [
          "argument",
          "argument"
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          "controversy"
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          "neutral",
          "neutral"
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        [
          "position",
          "position"
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "77 23",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "qiángtóucǎo",
          "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
          "word": "牆頭草 /墙头草"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 23",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
          "word": "neŭtralisto"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 23",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "attendista"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 23",
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "hoesaekbunja",
          "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
          "word": "회색분자"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 23",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
          "word": "\"em cima do muro\""
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 23",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "nabljudatelʹ",
          "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "наблюдатель"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 23",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "moja xata s kraju",
          "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
          "tags": [
            "idiomatic"
          ],
          "word": "\"моя хата с краю\""
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 23",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "(passiv) åskådare"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
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          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
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          "_dis": "45 55",
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          "_dis": "44 56",
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          "_dis": "44 56",
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          "_dis": "43 57",
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        {
          "_dis": "43 57",
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        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
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          "_dis": "44 56",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 57",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 81",
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          "name": "LGBTQ",
          "orig": "en:LGBTQ",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "49 51",
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          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Adrian Tomine, Shortcomings (graphic novel), page 65",
          "text": "What...? EW. You scored with the fence-sitter?"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One who is bisexual, or who is uncertain about their sexual orientation."
      ],
      "id": "en-fence_sitter-en-noun-NDeM8v~B",
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          "bisexual"
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          "orientation"
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      "qualifier": "potentially offensive",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(potentially offensive) One who is bisexual, or who is uncertain about their sexual orientation."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "word": "draadsitter"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "word": "fence-sitting"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "word": "on the fence"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:bisexual person",
          "word": "bisexual"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:bisexual person",
          "word": "bi"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:bisexual person",
          "word": "switch hitter"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:bisexual person",
          "word": "fence sitter"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:bisexual person",
          "word": "fence-straddler"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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    }
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  "word": "fence sitter"
}
{
  "categories": [
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    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Esperanto translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Korean translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "en:LGBTQ",
    "en:People"
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        "2": "fence",
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      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From fence + sitter, from the verb sit on the fence.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fence sitters",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fence-sitter",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fencesitter",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "fence sitter (plural fence sitters)",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "draadsitter"
    },
    {
      "word": "fence-sitting"
    },
    {
      "word": "on the fence"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "One who takes neither side of an argument or controversy, but maintains a neutral position."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "argument",
          "argument"
        ],
        [
          "controversy",
          "controversy"
        ],
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          "neutral"
        ],
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          "position",
          "position"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
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      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Adrian Tomine, Shortcomings (graphic novel), page 65",
          "text": "What...? EW. You scored with the fence-sitter?"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One who is bisexual, or who is uncertain about their sexual orientation."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "bisexual",
          "bisexual"
        ],
        [
          "orientation",
          "orientation"
        ]
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      "qualifier": "potentially offensive",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(potentially offensive) One who is bisexual, or who is uncertain about their sexual orientation."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:bisexual person",
          "word": "bisexual"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:bisexual person",
          "word": "bi"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:bisexual person",
          "word": "switch hitter"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:bisexual person",
          "word": "fence sitter"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:bisexual person",
          "word": "fence-straddler"
        }
      ]
    }
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "qiángtóucǎo",
      "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
      "word": "牆頭草 /墙头草"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
      "word": "neŭtralisto"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "attendista"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "hoesaekbunja",
      "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
      "word": "회색분자"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
      "word": "\"em cima do muro\""
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "nabljudatelʹ",
      "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "наблюдатель"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "moja xata s kraju",
      "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "word": "\"моя хата с краю\""
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "one maintaining neutral position",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "(passiv) åskådare"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fence sitter"
}

Download raw JSONL data for fence sitter meaning in All languages combined (3.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-05-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-05-01 using wiktextract (89ebc88 and e74c913). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.