wall

Etymology 1

From Middle English wal, from Old English weall (“wall, dike, earthwork, rampart, dam, rocky shore, cliff”), from Proto-West Germanic *wall (“wall, rampart, entrenchment”), from Latin vallum (“wall, rampart, entrenchment, palisade”), from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, wind, roll”). Perhaps conflated with waw (“a wall within a house or dwelling, a room partition”), from Middle English wawe, from Old English wāg, wāh (“an interior wall, divider”), see waw. Cognate with North Frisian wal (“wall”), Saterland Frisian Waal (“wall, rampart, mound”), Dutch wal (“wall, rampart, embankment”), German Wall (“rampart, mound, embankment”), Swedish vall (“mound, wall, bank”). More at wallow, walk.

noun

1. A rampart of earth, stones etc. built up for defensive purposes.
2. A structure built for defense surrounding a city, castle etc.
   The town wall was surrounded by a moat.
   From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away. 2013-06-08, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52
3. 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.
   Nanny Broome was looking up at the outer wall. Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 14, in The China Governess
4. A point of desperation.
5. 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. March 11 2022, David Hytner, “Chelsea are in crisis but there is no will to leave club on their knees”, in The Guardian
6. An impediment to free movement.
   A wall of police officers met the protesters before they reached the capitol steps.
7. The butterfly Lasiommata megera.
   Researchers found that 15 of 17 species which commonly live on farmland – including the small tortoiseshell, small skipper and wall butterfly – show declines associated with increasing neonic use. 2015-11-24, Patrick Barkham, “Pesticide may be reason butterfly numbers are falling in UK, says study”, in The Guardian
8. (often in combination) A barrier.
   a seawall;  a firewall
9. Something with the apparent solidity, opacity, or dimensions of a building wall.
   a wall of sound;  a wall of water;  a wall of smoke obscured their view of enemy forces
10. (anatomy, zoology, botany) A divisive or containing structure in an organ or cavity.
11. (auction) A fictional bidder used to increase the price at an auction.
12. (US, slang, medicine) A doctor who tries to admit as few patients as possible.
13. (soccer) A line of defenders set up between an opposing free-kick taker and the goal.
    Blackburn were the recipients of another dose of fortune when from another Thomas pass Odemwingie was brought down by Jones inside the penalty area, but referee Mark Clattenburg awarded a free-kick which Chris Brunt slammed into the wall. January 23, 2011, Alistair Magowan, “Blackburn 2-0 West Brom”, in BBC
14. (roller derby) Two or more blockers skating together so as to impede the opposing team.
    It can also be used to maintain the presence of a wall when one of the blockers who makes up the wall is picked off by an opposing blocker attempting to shut down the wall. 2013, Ellen Parnavelas, The Roller Derby Athlete, page 48
15. (mining) Any of the surfaces of rock enclosing the lode.
16. (Internet) A personal notice board listing messages of interest to a particular user.
17. (roleplaying games) A character that has high defenses, thereby reducing the amount of damage taken from the opponent’s attacks.
18. (slang, seduction community, chiefly definite) The stage of biological aging where physical appearance and attractiveness start to deteriorate rapidly.
    Depreciation of assets happens. Prepare yourself Marla. Get ready for the wall. 1996-12-27, “The Definitive Answer to "Why Nice Guys Finish Last"”, in alt.romance (Usenet)
    At what age would you peg the 'wall' to be for men, on or thereabouts? 2001-02-02, “what a drag it is getting old”, in soc.singles (Usenet)
    I have never had a problem getting the attention of men. I'm 44 and there's no wall staring me in the face 2001-06-19, “the laws of biomechanics”, in soc.singles (Usenet)
    That was only six years later and Natasha is not near the wall yet 2002-01-22, “towards a useful smv metric”, in soc.singles (Usenet)
    As for the wall....Im convinced part of this is just something us guys tell ourselves to 'get back'(in our minds) at all the girls who wouldn't sleep with us 5-10 years ago 2015-07-20, “catcalls are bad”, in rec.sport.football.college (Usenet)
19. (historical) The right or privilege of taking the side of the road near the wall when encountering another pedestrian.
    All persons, in walking the streets, whose right sides are next the wall, are intitled to take the wall. 1822, The Pamphleteer, page 118
    Taking the wall thus was also a social distinction. An entire episode in the second book is therefore dedicated “to whom to give the wall” and “to whom to refuse the wall” (II. 4564). 2017, Catharina Löffler, Walking in the City, page 135
20. (cycling) A very steep slope.

verb

1. To enclose with, or as if with, a wall or walls.
   He walled the study with books.

Etymology 2

From Middle English wallen, from Old English weallan (“to bubble, boil”), from Proto-Germanic *wallaną (“to fount, stream, boil”), from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“wave”). Cognate with Middle Dutch wallen (“to boil, bubble”), Dutch wellen (“to weld”), German wellen (“to wave, warp”), Danish vælde (“to overwhelm”), Swedish välla (“to gush, weld”). See also well.

verb

1. To boil.
2. To well, as water; spring.

Etymology 3

From Middle English walle, from Old English *wealla, *weall (“spring”), from Proto-Germanic *wallô, *wallaz (“well, spring”). See above. Cognate with Old Frisian walla (“spring”), Old English wiell (“well”).

noun

1. (chiefly dialectal) A spring of water.

Etymology 4

noun

1. (nautical) A kind of knot often used at the end of a rope; a wall knot or wale.

verb

1. (transitive, nautical) To make a wall knot on the end of (a rope).

Etymology 5

intj

1. (US) Pronunciation spelling of well.
   Wall, they spoke up, 'n' says to her, s'd they, "Why, look a-here, aunty, Wus't his skin, 't was rock?" so s's she, "I guess not." (Well, they spoke up and says to her, said they, "Why look a-here, aunty, was it his skin that was rock [referring to the Apostle Peter]?" So says she, "I guess not.") 1858, Robert Lowell, The New Priest in Conception Bay
   Wall, be that as it may, ol' Hosshead was a purty good citizen in his day, an' he shore did make Juneybell toe the mark. 1988, Herbert M. Sutherland, Tall Tales of the Devil's Apron, The Overmountain Press, page 97