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wall Definition

wall (wôl)

noun

  1. an upright structure of wood, stone, brick, etc., serving to enclose, divide, support, or protect; specif.,
    1. such a structure forming a side or inner partition of a building
    2. such a continuous structure serving to enclose an area, to separate fields, etc.
    3. such a structure used as a military defense; fortification
    4. such a structure used to hold back water; levee; dike
  2. something resembling a wall in appearance or function, as the side or inside surface of a container or body cavity
  3. something suggestive of a wall in that it holds back, divides, hides, etc. a wall of secrecy

Etymology: ME wal < OE weall (akin to Ger wall) < L vallum, rampart < vallus, a stake, palisade < IE base *wel-, to turn > walk

adjective

  1. of or along a wall
  2. placed or growing on, in, or against a wall

transitive verb

  1. to furnish, line, enclose, divide, protect, etc. with or as with a wall or walls to wall a room with books, to wall off the old wing, a mind walled in by fears
  2. to close up (an opening) with a wall: usually with up

wall Related Forms

wall′·-like′ adjective

wall Idioms

drive to the wall

or push to the wall

to place in a desperate or extreme position

drive up the wall

or send up the wall

Informal to make frantic, emotionally tense, crazy, etc.

go to the wall

  1. to be forced to retreat or yield in a conflict; suffer defeat
  2. to fail in business; become bankrupt

hit the wall

or hit a wall

Informal to come to a point beyond which there is no further progress to hit the wall after four years of steady profits

off the wall

☆ Slang
  1. unsound of mind; crazy
  2. very eccentric or unconventional

wall Synonyms

wall

n.

  1. A physical barrier

    partition, divider, dam, embankment, dike, ditch, bank, levee, stockade, fence, stone wall, drywall, stone fence, parapet, retainer, rampart, bulwark, palisade, fort, cliff, barricade, floodgate, sluice gate, paling, wattle, wattling.

  2. An obstacle; figurative

    barrier, obstruction, bar, cordon, entanglement, hurdle, resistance, defense, snag, hindrance, impediment, difficulty, limitation, restriction, retardation, knot, hitch, drawback, stumbling block, check, stop, curb, red tape*, fly in the ointment*, bottleneck*, red herring*, detour*. *

  3. A side; said of a cavity or space

    flank, partition, surface, brickwork, casing, bulkhead, façade, septum, precipice, cliff, bluff, outer envelope.

wall Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • climb: Climb the wall in the line of a small tree just below the top.
  • tile: Part tiled walls, side aspect double glazed window, double radiator.
  • adorn: She was extremely well versed in the tales of many of the heroes whose photographs adorned the walls.
  • retain: There are borders created by built retaining walls, there is scope to include a BBQ area.

Converse of subject

enclose: The far semicircle is enclosed by a solid wall on which are carved the names of over 4,700 soldiers of the Indian Army.

Adjective modifier

  • East: East wall: rough plinth at height of 0.5m.
  • outer: Inside is a fireplace between two ovens, which filled the center of the outer wall.
  • North: North wall: modern rectangular window cut through batter just above ground level.
  • east: A door in the east wall of the refectory gives access to the kitchen, which has an oven in its south east corner.
  • north: The north wall of the church is at the top of the photograph.
  • south: South wall: a credence in white stone is set below the eastern window of the south wall.

Modifies a noun

  • insulation: Double glazed with built in shutters and cavity wall insulation.
  • hanging: And then there were these these terrific shops full of the most unusual glasses and wall hangings.

Noun used with modifier

  • brick: At Scratby Hall's red brick wall we turned right along the field edge to the white board notice.
  • cavity: Double glazed with built in shutters and cavity wall insulation.
  • stone: There is an obvious stone wall running through the area.
  • curtain: Each tower was three stories, with the uppermost story rising above the curtain wall.
  • masonry: The steel ties should be embedded in the masonry wall through purposely drilled holes.

Preposition: of

  • nave: The walls of the nave and the west end are likely to be medieval in origin.
  • chancel: East wall: plain; and flush with the wall of the chancel.