wall

I UK [wɔːl] / US [wɔl] noun [countable]
Word forms "wall":
singular wall plural walls
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1)

a) 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.

b) an upright outer surface of a building

The walls of the factory had been covered with graffiti.

••

See:

fly II

2) a very tall strong structure that is built to defend a place or to 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 garden

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

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

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

a sea wall

3) emotions or behaviour 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)

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

wall of:

a wall of books/boxes

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

6) the outer layer of a body part such as the stomach or the chest

inflammation of the bowel wall

7) computing an area of a social networking website where you can write personal messages for a user

What can I write on my boyfriend's Facebook wall for his 16th birthday?

•

hit a/the wall — to reach a point where you are physically or mentally unable to make progress or to continue doing something

Emily's teacher says she has hit a wall with her schoolwork.

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

We seem to have come up against a brick wall with this project.

- go to the wall

- go up the wall

- if these walls could talk

- these four walls

- walls have ears

See:

back III, drive I, 2), a), off-the-wall

II UK [wɔːl] / US [wɔl] verb
Word forms "wall":
present tense I/you/we/they wall he/she/it walls present participle walling past tense walled past participle walled

Phrasal verbs:

- wall in

- wall off

- wall up