Walling

wall  (wôl)

n.

1. An upright structure of masonry, wood, plaster, or other building material serving to enclose, divide, or protect an area, especially a vertical construction forming an inner partition or exterior siding of a building.

2. A continuous structure of masonry or other material forming a rampart and built for defensive purposes. Often used in the plural.

3. A structure of stonework, cement, or other material built to retain a flow of water.

4.

a. Something resembling a wall in appearance, function, or construction, as the exterior surface of a body organ or part: the abdominal wall.

b. Something resembling a wall in impenetrability or strength: a wall of silence; a wall of fog.

c. An extreme or desperate condition or position, such as defeat or ruin: driven to the wall by poverty.

5. Sports The vertical surface of an ocean wave in surfing.

tr.v. walled, wall·ing, walls

1. To enclose, surround, or fortify with or as if with a wall: wall up an old window. See Synonyms at enclose.

2. To divide or separate with or as if with a wall. Often used with off: wall off half a room.

3. To confine or seal behind a wall; immure: "I determined to wall [the body] up in the cellar" (Edgar Allan Poe).

4. To block or close (an opening or passage, for example) with or as if with a wall.

Idioms:

off the wall Slang

1. Extremely unconventional.

2. Without foundation; ridiculous: an accusation that is really off the wall.

up the wall Slang

Into a state of extreme frustration, anger, or distress: tensions that are driving me up the wall.

writing/handwriting on the wall

An ominous indication of the course of future events: saw the writing on the wall and fled the country.

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[Middle English, from Old English weall, from Latin vallum, palisade, from vallus, stake.]

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wallless adj.