fender

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A guard over each wheel of a motor vehicle, for example, that is shaped and positioned so as to block the splashing of water or mud.
• noun A device at the front end of a locomotive or streetcar designed to push aside obstructions.
• noun A cushioning device, such as a bundle of rope or a piece of timber, used on the side of a vessel or dock to absorb impact or friction.
• noun A screen or metal framework placed in front of a fireplace to keep hot coals and debris from falling out.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun One who or that which fends, guards, or wards off.
• noun Specifically— A guard placed before an open fire to keep live coals from falling on the floor. It usually consists of an upright fence or parapet of sheet-metal or wire gauze, or a light skeleton of wire, set along the front and sides of a hearth, frequently made ornamental and often having a top bar. Fenders are also made to cover the whole front of a fireplace, and are sometimes fitted with a sort of wicket which can be opened without removing the fender.
• noun Nautical, a piece of timber, bundle of rope, or the like, hung over the side of a vessel to prevent it from being injured by rubbing against a pier, another vessel, or other body.
• noun A guard-post placed on the edge of a pier.
• noun An attachment to a cultivator for preventing the clods of earth turned up by it from injuríng the plants.
• noun The rubbing-plate of a carriage, placed where the forward wheels turn under the body of the carriage.
• noun A kind of terrapin. See red-fender.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun A screen to prevent coals or sparks of an open fire from escaping to the floor.
• noun Anything serving as a cushion to lessen the shock when a vessel comes in contact with another vessel or a wharf.
• noun A screen to protect a carriage from mud thrown off the wheels: also, a splashboard.
• noun Anything set up to protect an exposed angle, as of a house, from damage by carriage wheels.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun US panel of a car which encloses the wheel area, especially the front wheels
• noun US a shield, usually of plastic or metal, on a bicycle that protects the rider from mud or water
• noun nautical Any shaped cushion-like object normally made from polymers, rubber or wood that is placed along the sides of a boat to prevent damage when moored alongside another vessel or jetty, or when using a lock, etc. Modern variations are cylindrical although older wooden version and rubbing strips can still be found; old tyres are used as a cheap substitute
• noun A low metal framework in front of a fireplace, intended to catch hot coals, soot, and ash

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun an inclined metal frame at the front of a locomotive to clear the track
• noun a low metal guard to confine falling coals to a hearth
• noun a cushion-like device that reduces shock due to an impact
• noun a barrier that surrounds the wheels of a vehicle to block splashing water or mud