wall

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 a long upright solid structure, made of stone, brick or CONCRETE, that surrounds, divides or protects an area of land: The fields were divided by stone walls. * He sat on the wall and watched the others playing. seealsoSEAWALL 2 any of the upright sides of a building or room: I'm going to paint the walls white and the ceiling pink. * Hang the picture on the wall opposite the window. * She leaned against the wall. 3 something that forms a barrier or stops you from making progress: The boat struck a solid wall of water. * The investigators were confronted by a wall of silence. 4 the outer layer of sth hollow such as an organ of the body or a cell of an animal or a plant: the abdominal wall * The knife had just ruptured the wall of an artery. IDIOMS go to the wall (of a company or an organization) (informal) to fail because of lack of money: Many firms have gone to the wall in this recession. off the wall (informal) unusual and amusing; slightly crazy: Some of his ideas are really off the wall. * off-the-wall ideas up the wall (informal) crazy or angry: That noise is driving me up the wall. * I mustn't be late or Dad will go up the wall. walls have ears (saying) used to warn people to be careful what they say because other people may be listening moreatBACKn., BRICKn., FLYn., FOUR, HANDWRITING, HEADn., WRITING verb [VN] [usuallypassive] to surround an area, a town, etc. with a wall or walls: a walled city / garden PHRASALVERBS wall sth<->in [usuallypassive] to surround sth/sb with a wall or barrier wall sth<->off [usuallypassive] to separate one place or area from another with a wall wall sb<->up [usuallypassive] to keep sb as a prisoner behind walls wall sth<->up [usuallypassive] to fill an opening with a wall, bricks, etc. so that you can no longer use it: I could see where the doorway had been walled up. \