A very tall strong structure built to defend a place or to keep people inside a place, for example, a prison, castle or city
During a recent White House briefing conducted by President Trump’s press secretary Sean Spicer, there was some confusion over what constitutes a ‘wall’. The controversial ‘wall’ being referred to was the one that during the election campaign Mr Trump stated he would order erected along the entire border between the US and Mexico to stop illegal immigrants crossing into US territory.
During the briefing, Mr Spicer displayed images of the fencing currently in place on the border. Some of the journalists then pointed out that a fence does not fit the definition of a ‘wall’. “It’s not the wall the president promised,” said one. Mr Spicer responded: “What I’m telling anybody is that the president said he was going to build the wall and he’s doing it, and he’s using the best technology.”
wall
1. an upright side of a room inside a building
On the opposite wall hung a valuable old painting.
She felt along the wall for the light switch.
Synonyms and related words
a. an upright outer surface of a building
The walls of the factory had been covered with graffiti.
2. a very tall strong structure that is built to defend a place or to keep people inside a place, for example a prison, castle, or city
Several men escaped over the prison’s perimeter wall yesterday.
a. an upright structure made of stone or brick that surrounds or divides someone’s land or garden
Over the top of the garden wall, he watched his neighbours.
Parts of the old brick walls had crumbled to the ground.
b. a strong upright structure that protects an area from the sea or from flooding
a sea wall
3. emotions or behaviour that prevent people from feeling close to each other
The years had built a wall between the two families.
wall of:
A wall of silence had grown up between them.
4. a large number of things that form an upright structure like a wall
wall of:
a. a large amount of something that has risen up high and makes it difficult for people to pass through
A wall of dark water approached their small boat.
Firefighters battled the walls of flames.
5. the side of something with an empty space inside, for example a box or a pipe
6. the outer layer of a body part such as the stomach or the chest
inflammation of the bowel wall
7. COMPUTING an area of a social networking website where you can writepersonal messages for a user
What can I write on my boyfriend’s Facebook wall for his 16th birthday?
PHRASES
- go to the wall
- go up the wall
- hit a/the wall
- if these walls could talk
- like talking to a (brick) wall
- run into/come up against/hit etc a (brick) wall
- these four walls
- walls have ears
