Meaning & use
car fender
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
The part of a car that covers the wheel and protects the side from dirt and small bumps.
Grammar: Countable: one fender, two fenders. Often used with car to avoid confusion with a boat fender.
Patterns
- the front/rear fender
- a damaged fender
- dent the fender
I scraped the car fender against a wall while parking.
The mechanic said the car fender would need to be replaced after the accident.
She washed the car fender until it shone.
nouncountable
A curved piece of metal or plastic over the wheel of a bicycle or motorcycle.
Grammar: Countable. Usually used without car when the context is clear.
Patterns
- a bicycle fender
- the front fender
He fitted a new fender to his bike to stop mud splashing.
The motorcycle's rear fender was rusty.
Word forms
| plural | car fenders |
|---|
Common combinations
- front fender
- The front fender was dented in the crash.
- rear fender
- He polished the rear fender of his car.
- fender bender
- It was just a fender bender, so no one was hurt.
- damage the fender
- She damaged the fender while reversing.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- fender noun
- The part itself, without car.
Commonly confused: car fender or bumper?
car fender vs bumper
A bumper is the horizontal bar at the front or rear of a car; a fender is the panel above a wheel.
Practice
Which part of the car is the fender?
Choose one answer.
A fender covers the wheel area. The bar at the front is the bumper, not the fender.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “car fender”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.