wall

wall1 [ wɔl ] noun count ***

▸ 1 upright side of room

▸ 2 strong upright structure

▸ 3 emotions/behavior

▸ 4 large amounts of things

▸ 5 outer layer of body part

▸ 6 side of something hollow

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) an upright side of a room inside a building:

On the opposite wall hung a valuable old painting.

She felt along the wall for the light switch.

=> FLY 2

a ) an upright outer surface of a building:

The walls of the factory had been covered with graffiti.

2. ) a very tall strong structure that is built to defend a place or keep people inside a place, for example a prison, castle, or city:

Several men escaped over the prison's perimeter wall yesterday.

the walls of the city

a ) an upright structure made of stone or brick that surrounds or divides someone's land or yard:

Over the top of the garden wall, he watched his neighbors.

Parts of the old brick walls had crumbled to the ground.

b ) a strong upright structure that protects an area from the ocean or from flooding:

a sea wall

3. ) emotions or behavior that prevent people from feeling close to each other:

The years had built a wall between the two families.

wall of: A wall of silence had grown up between them.

4. ) wall of a large number of things that form an upright structure like a wall:

a wall of books/boxes

a ) a large amount of something that has risen up high and makes it difficult for people to pass through:

A wall of dark water approached their small boat.

Firefighters battled the walls of flames.

5. ) the outer layer of a body part such as the stomach or chest:

inflammation of the bowel wall

6. ) the side of something with an empty space inside, for example a box or pipe

go to the wall BRITISH INFORMAL

to fail, especially when this involves losing all your business and money

hit a/the wall

to reach a point where you are physically or mentally unable to make progress or continue doing something

if these walls could talk

used for saying that many interesting things have happened in a room or building, although you do not know all the details

like talking to a (brick) wall

used for saying that someone does not listen or react to you when you talk:

I've tried to tell her, but it's like talking to a brick wall.

run into/come up against/hit etc. a (brick) wall

to reach a point in a process where there are problems that seem impossible to solve

these four walls

used for talking about the room that you are in

walls have ears INFORMAL

used for warning someone not to talk about something because other people may be listening

=> BACK 3, DRIVE1 5A, OFF-THE-WALL

wall

wall 2 [ wɔl ] verb

,wall `in phrasal verb transitive

to surround something with a wall:

Next year we plan to wall in the patio.

,wall `off phrasal verb transitive

to separate a small space from a larger one by building a wall or permanently closing a door:

Several rooms were walled off to save money on heating bills.

,wall `up phrasal verb transitive

1. ) to permanently close the doors and windows of a room or house, for example with bricks or wooden boards:

Most of the old building's windows have been walled up.

2. ) to hold someone prisoner, especially in a very small space