wall

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a masonry fence (as around an estate or garden)

   the wall followed the road

2. 2
   noun

   a layer of material that encloses space

   the walls of the cylinder were perforated

3. 3
   noun

   (anatomy) a layer (a lining or membrane) that encloses a structure

   stomach walls

4. 4
   noun

   anything that suggests a wall in structure or function or effect

   a wall of water

5. 5
   noun

   a difficult or awkward situation

   My back was to the wall.

6. 6
   noun

   A structure built for defense surrounding a city, castle etc.

   The town wall was surrounded by a moat.

7. 7
   noun

   Each of the substantial structures acting either as the exterior of or divisions within a structure.

   We're adding another wall in this room during the remodeling.  The wind blew against the walls of the tent.

8. 8
   noun

   A point of defeat or extinction.

   They want Abramovich out for obvious reasons, including the optics, and they do not want to send Chelsea to the wall as they consider the club to be of cultural significance to the country.

Etymology

Of various origins, principally from Old English wælisc etc. ("non-Germanic speaker, stranger") from Proto-Germanic *walhaz (“foreigner, stranger”), the source of numerous other surnames such as Walsh and Wales and from Middle English wall, from Old English weall (“wall, dike, rampart”), from Proto-Germanic *wallaz or *wallą (“wall, rampart”), from Latin vallum (“wall, rampart, palisade”), from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to turn, wind, roll”). Also from transcribed foreign surnames such as German Wahl and Swedish Wahlberg.