FEND'ER, noun 1. That which defends; an utensil employed to hinder coals of fire from rolling forward to the floor. 2. A piece of timber or other thing hung over the side of a vessel to prevent it from striking or rubbing against a wharf, also to preserve a small vessel from being injured by a large one.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI