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wall |
9 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Wall \Wall\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Walled}; p. pr & vb n. {Walling}.] 1. To inclose with a wall, or as with a wall. ``Seven walled towns of strength.'' --Shak. The king of Thebes, Amphion That with his singing walled that city. --Chaucer. 2. To defend by walls, or as if by walls; to fortify. The terror of his name that walls us in --Denham. 3. To close or fill with a wall, as a doorway. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Wall \Wall\, n. (Naut.) A kind of knot often used at the end of a rope; a wall knot; a wale. {Wall knot}, a knot made by unlaying the strands of a rope, and making a bight with the first strand, then passing the second over the end of the first and the third over the end of the second and through the bight of the first a wale knot. Wall knots may be single or double, crowned or double-crowned. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Wall \Wall\, n. [AS. weall, from L. vallum a wall, vallus a stake, pale, palisade; akin to Gr ? a nail. Cf {Interval}.] 1. A work or structure of stone, brick, or other materials, raised to some height, and intended for defense or security, solid and permanent inclosing fence, as around a field, a park, a town, etc., also one of the upright inclosing parts of a building or a room The plaster of the wall of the King's palace. --Dan. v. 5. 2. A defense; a rampart; a means of protection; in the plural, fortifications, in general; works for defense. The waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left --Ex. xiv. 22. In such a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Troyan walls. --Shak. To rush undaunted to defend the walls. --Dryden. 3. An inclosing part of a receptacle or vessel; as the walls of a steam-engine cylinder. 4. (Mining) a The side of a level or drift. b The country rock bounding a vein laterally. --Raymond. Note: Wall is often used adjectively, and also in the formation of compounds, usually of obvious signification; as in wall paper, or wall-paper; wall fruit, or wall-fruit; wallflower, etc {Blank wall}, Blind wall, etc See under {Blank}, {Blind}, etc {To drive to the wall}, to bring to extremities; to push to extremes; to get the advantage of or mastery over {To go to the wall}, to be hard pressed or driven; to be the weaker party; to be pushed to extremes. {To take the wall}. to take the inner side of a walk, that is the side next the wall; hence to take the precedence. ``I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's.'' --Shak. {Wall barley} (Bot.), a kind of grass ({Hordeum murinum}) much resembling barley; squirrel grass. See under {Squirrel}. {Wall box}. (Mach.) See {Wall frame}, below. {Wall creeper} (Zo["o]l.), a small bright-colored bird ({Tichodroma muraria}) native of Asia and Southern Europe. It climbs about over old walls and cliffs in search of insects and spiders. Its body is ash-gray above, the wing coverts are carmine-red, the primary quills are mostly red at the base and black distally, some of them with white spots, and the tail is blackish. Called also {spider catcher}. {Wall cress} (Bot.), a name given to several low cruciferous herbs, especially to the mouse-ear cress. See under {Mouse-ear}. {Wall frame} (Mach.), a frame set in a wall to receive a pillow block or bearing for a shaft passing through the wall; -- called also {wall box}. {Wall fruit}, fruit borne by trees trained against a wall. {Wall gecko} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of Old World geckos which live in or about buildings and run over the vertical surfaces of walls, to which they cling by means of suckers on the feet. {Wall lizard} (Zo["o]l.), a common European lizard ({Lacerta muralis}) which frequents houses, and lives in the chinks and crevices of walls; -- called also {wall newt}. {Wall louse}, a wood louse. {Wall moss} (Bot.), any species of moss growing on walls. {Wall newt} (Zo["o]l.), the wall lizard. --Shak. {Wall paper}, paper for covering the walls of rooms paper hangings. {Wall pellitory} (Bot.), a European plant ({Parictaria officinalis}) growing on old walls, and formerly esteemed medicinal. {Wall pennywort} (Bot.), a plant ({Cotyledon Umbilicus}) having rounded fleshy leaves. It is found on walls in Western Europe. {Wall pepper} (Bot.), a low mosslike plant ({Sedum acre}) with small fleshy leaves having a pungent taste and bearing yellow flowers. It is common on walls and rocks in Europe, and is sometimes seen in America. {Wall pie} (Bot.), a kind of fern; wall rue. {Wall piece}, a gun planted on a wall. --H. L. Scott. {Wall plate} (Arch.), a piece of timber placed horizontally upon a wall, and supporting posts, joists, and the like See Illust. of {Roof}. {Wall rock}, granular limestone used in building walls. [U. S.] --Bartlett. {Wall rue} (Bot.), a species of small fern ({Asplenium Ruta-muraria}) growing on walls, rocks, and the like {Wall spring}, a spring of water issuing from stratified rocks. {Wall tent}, a tent with upright cloth sides corresponding to the walls of a house. {Wall wasp} (Zo["o]l.), a common European solitary wasp ({Odynerus parietus}) which makes its nest in the crevices of walls. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: wall n 1: an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure; "the south wall had a small window"; "the walls were covered with pictures" 2: anything that suggests a wall in structure or effect; "a wall of water"; "a wall of smoke"; "a wall of prejudice" 3: (anatomy) a layer (a lining or membrane) that encloses a structure; "stomach walls" [syn: {paries}] 4: a difficult or awkward situation; "his back was to the wall"; "competition was pushing them to the wall" 5: a masonry fence (as around an estate or garden); "the wall followed the road"; "he ducked behind the garden wall and waited" 6: an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes; "they stormed the ramparts of the city"; "they blew the trumpet and the walls came tumbling down" [syn: {rampart}, {bulwark}] v : surround with a wall in order to fortify [syn: {palisade}, {fence}, {fence in}, {surround}] From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]: Wall, NJ Zip code(s): 07719 Wall, PA (borough, FIPS 80600) Location: 40.39317 N, 79.78509 W Population (1990): 853 (368 housing units) Area: 1.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 15148 Wall, SD (town, FIPS 68380) Location: 43.99157 N, 102.23913 W Population (1990): 834 (421 housing units) Area: 4.5 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 57790 Wall, TX Zip code(s): 76957 From Jargon File (4.2.3, 23 NOV 2000) [jargon]: wall interj. [WPI] 1. An indication of confusion, usually spoken with a quizzical tone: "Wall??" 2. A request for further explication. Compare {octal forty}. 3. [Unix, from `write all'] v. To send a message to everyone currently logged in esp. with the wall(8) utility. It is said that sense 1 came from the idiom `like talking to a blank wall'. It was originally used in situations where after you had carefully answered a question, the questioner stared at you blankly, clearly having understood nothing that was explained. You would then throw out a "Hello, wall?" to elicit some sort of response from the questioner. Later confused questioners began voicing "Wall?" themselves. From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]: wall {Unix}'s "write all" command which sends a message to everyone currently logged in [{Jargon File}] From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]: Wall Cities were surrounded by walls, as distinguished from "unwalled villages" (Ezek. 38:11; Lev. 25:29-34). They were made thick and strong (Num. 13:28; Deut. 3:5). Among the Jews walls were built of stone, some of those in the temple being of great size (1 Kings 6:7; 7:9-12; 20:30; Mark 13:1, 2). The term is used metaphorically of security and safety (Isa. 26:1; 60:18; Rev. 21:12-20). (See {FENCE}.) From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]: WALL :STREET:, n. A symbol for sin for every devil to rebuke. That Wall Street is a den of thieves is a belief that serves every unsuccessful thief in place of a hope in Heaven. Even the great and good Andrew Carnegie has made his profession of faith in the matter. Carnegie the dauntless has uttered his call To battle: "The brokers are parasites all!" Carnegie, Carnegie, you'll never prevail; Keep the wind of your slogan to belly your sail, Go back to your isle of perpetual brume, Silence your pibroch, doff tartan and plume: Ben Lomond is calling his son from the fray -- Fly, fly from the region of Wall Street away! While still you're possessed of a single baubee (I wish it were pledged to endowment of me) 'Twere wise to retreat from the wars of finance Lest its value decline ere your credit advance. For a man 'twixt a king of finance and the sea, Carnegie, Carnegie, your tongue is too free! Anonymus Bink
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