firewall

noun
/ˈfaɪə.wɔəl/UK/ˈfaɪ(ə)ɹˌwɔl/US

Etymology

From fire + wall. Compare West Frisian brânmuorre, Dutch brandmuur, German Brandmauer, Feuermauer, Swedish brandvägg, brandmur, Icelandic eldvegg. The verb sense for using maximum power or acceleration comes from the engine's firewall being the limit of forward movement of the throttle controls on many simpler vehicles; thus, to get the maximum engine output, one would push the throttle levers or pedal all the way to the firewall. The politics sense is a calque of German Brandmauer.

  1. derived from *wel-
  2. derived from vallum
  3. inherited from *wallaz
  4. inherited from weall
  5. inherited from wall
  6. inherited from *walhaz
  7. inherited from wælisc
  8. compounded as firewall — “fire + wall

Definitions

  1. A fireproof barrier used to prevent the spread of fire between or through buildings,…

    A fireproof barrier used to prevent the spread of fire between or through buildings, structures, electrical substation transformers, or within an aircraft or vehicle.

  2. The software that monitors traffic in and out of a private network or a personal computer…

    The software that monitors traffic in and out of a private network or a personal computer and allows or blocks such traffic depending on its perceived threat.

  3. A hypothetical phenomenon where an observer falling into a black hole encounters…

    A hypothetical phenomenon where an observer falling into a black hole encounters high-energy quanta at or near the event horizon.

  4. + 5 more definitions
    1. An ethical wall

      An ethical wall; an organizational or legal separation between two entities that might otherwise cause conflicts of interest.

    2. An unwritten agreement among major political parties to refuse to govern or cooperate…

      An unwritten agreement among major political parties to refuse to govern or cooperate with national conservative and ultranationalist parties.

      • "Honest government must be preceded by honest negotiations," Mr Kickl said when Austria's president tasked him with beginning coalition talks after the centrist firewall failed.
    3. To protect with a firewall.

    4. To block with a firewall.

    5. To use maximum engine power or acceleration.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for firewall. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA