firewall
English
Etymology
From fire + wallCategory:English compound terms#FIREWALL. Compare West Frisian brânmuorre, Dutch brandmuur, German Brandmauer, Feuermauer, Swedish brandvägg, brandmur, Icelandic eldvegg. The verb sense for using maximum power or acceleration comes from the engine's firewall being the limit of forward movement of the throttle controls on many simpler vehicles; thus, to get the maximum engine output, one would push the throttle levers or pedal all the way to the firewall. The politics sense is a calque of GermanCategory:English terms calqued from German#FIREWALLCategory:English terms derived from German#FIREWALL Brandmauer.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈfaɪə.wɔəl/Category:English 3-syllable words#FIREWALLCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#FIREWALL
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈfaɪ.əˌwɔːl/Category:English 3-syllable words#FIREWALLCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#FIREWALL
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈfaɪ(ə)ɹˌwɔl/, /ˈfaɪ(ə)ɹˌwɑl/Category:English 3-syllable words#FIREWALLCategory:English 3-syllable words#FIREWALLCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#FIREWALL
Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#FIREWALLAudio (US): (file)
Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#FIREWALLAudio (Canada): (file)
Noun
firewall (plural firewalls)Category:English lemmas#FIREWALLCategory:English nouns#FIREWALLCategory:English countable nouns#FIREWALLCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with entries#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with 5 entries#FIREWALL
- (architectureCategory:en:Architecture#FIREWALL) A fireproof barrier used to prevent the spread of fire between or through buildings, structures, electrical substation transformers, or within an aircraft or vehicle.
- Coordinate terms: firestop, fire block; bulkhead
- (computer securityCategory:en:Computer security#FIREWALL) The software that monitors traffic in and out of a private network or a personal computer and allows or blocks such traffic depending on its perceived threat.
- (physicsCategory:en:Physics#FIREWALL) A hypothetical phenomenon where an observer falling into a black hole encounters high-energy quanta at or near the event horizon.
- An ethical wall; an organizational or legal separation between two entities that might otherwise cause conflicts of interest.
- 2017 July 6, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Social Media Communication: Concepts, Practices, Data, Law and Ethics, Taylor & Francis, →ISBN, page 275:
- The book explains this in Adam Hochberg's (@adamhochberg) chapter discussing the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism's concerns related to non-profit news organizations: donor transparency, editorial independence, the firewall between journalism and fundraising, and conflicts of interest.Category:English terms with quotations#FIREWALL
- (politicsCategory:en:Politics#FIREWALL, especially Germany) An unwritten agreement among major political parties to refuse to govern or cooperate with national conservative and ultranationalist parties.
- 2025 January 12, James Crisp, Meike Eijsberg, “The great firewall keeping out the hard-Right collapses across Europe”, in Chris Evans, editor, The Daily Telegraph, London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 12 January 2025:
- "Honest government must be preceded by honest negotiations," Mr Kickl said when Austria's president tasked him with beginning coalition talks after the centrist firewall failed.Category:English terms with quotations#FIREWALL
- 2025 February 14, Jim Tankersley, Steven Erlanger, David E. Sanger, “Vance Tells Europeans to Stop Shunning Parties Deemed Extreme”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 February 2025:
- Other firewalls have fallen around Europe, including in the Netherlands, Hungary and Italy. In Austria, the hard-right Freedom Party has been part of federal coalitions and appeared set to lead its next government, before negotiations with a center-right party collapsed this week.Category:English terms with quotations#FIREWALL
- 2026 January 30, Marc Felix Serrao, “Germany's Far Right Is on the Threshold of Power. This Man Is Leading the Charge.”, in Politico, archived from the original on 31 January 2026:
- Most of the time, German parties come to power in states and nationally by forming coalitions. As long as the firewall holds, the only way the AfD can take power is by winning a straight-up majority. Which is what it seems poised to do in the September elections.Category:English terms with quotations#FIREWALL
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
firewall (third-person singular simple present firewalls, present participle firewalling, simple past and past participle firewalled)Category:English lemmas#FIREWALLCategory:English verbs#FIREWALLCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with entries#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with 5 entries#FIREWALL
- (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#FIREWALL, computer securityCategory:en:Computer security#FIREWALL) To protect with a firewall.
- (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#FIREWALL, computer securityCategory:en:Computer security#FIREWALL) To block with a firewall.
- (intransitiveCategory:English intransitive verbs#FIREWALL, motor vehicles or aircraft, slangCategory:English slang#FIREWALL) To use maximum engine power or acceleration.
See also
Further reading
firewall on Wikipedia.Wikipedia - firewall (construction) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- firewall against the far-right in Germany on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Czech
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from EnglishCategory:Czech terms borrowed from English#FIREWALLCategory:Czech unadapted borrowings from English#FIREWALLCategory:Czech terms derived from English#FIREWALL firewall.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈfajr̩voːl]Category:Czech terms with IPA pronunciation#FIREWALL
Noun
firewall m inanCategory:Czech lemmas#FIREWALLCategory:Czech nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Czech terms spelled with W#FIREWALLCategory:Czech entries with incorrect language header#FIREWALLCategory:Czech masculine nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Czech inanimate nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with entries#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with 5 entries#FIREWALL
Declension
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | firewall | firewally |
| genitive | firewallu | firewallů |
| dative | firewallu | firewallům |
| accusative | firewall | firewally |
| vocative | firewalle | firewally |
| locative | firewallu | firewallech |
| instrumental | firewallem | firewally |
Further reading
- “firewall”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026
Italian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from EnglishCategory:Italian terms borrowed from English#FIREWALLCategory:Italian unadapted borrowings from English#FIREWALLCategory:Italian terms derived from English#FIREWALL firewall.
Pronunciation
Noun
firewall m (invariable)Category:Italian lemmas#FIREWALLCategory:Italian nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Italian countable nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Italian indeclinable nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Italian terms spelled with W#FIREWALLCategory:Italian entries with incorrect language header#FIREWALLCategory:Italian masculine nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with entries#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with 5 entries#FIREWALL
- (computer securityCategory:it:Computer security#FIREWALL) firewall (computer software that monitors traffic in a network)
Portuguese
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from EnglishCategory:Portuguese terms borrowed from English#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese unadapted borrowings from English#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese terms derived from English#FIREWALL firewall.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /faj.ɾewˈɔw/ [faɪ̯.ɾeʊ̯ˈɔʊ̯]Category:Portuguese 3-syllable words#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese terms with IPA pronunciation#FIREWALL
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /faj.ɾewˈɔl/ [faj.ɾewˈɔɫ]Category:Portuguese 3-syllable words#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese terms with IPA pronunciation#FIREWALL
- (Southern Portugal) IPA(key): /faj.ɾewˈɔ.li/Category:Portuguese 4-syllable words#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese terms with IPA pronunciation#FIREWALL
- Hyphenation: fi‧re‧wall
Noun
firewall m or f (plural firewalls)Category:Portuguese lemmas#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese countable nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese terms spelled with W#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese entries with incorrect language header#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese masculine nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese feminine nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Portuguese nouns with multiple genders#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with entries#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with 5 entries#FIREWALL
- (computer securityCategory:pt:Computer security#FIREWALL) firewall (computer software that monitors traffic in a network)
Further reading
- “firewall”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
Spanish
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from EnglishCategory:Spanish terms borrowed from English#FIREWALLCategory:Spanish unadapted borrowings from English#FIREWALLCategory:Spanish terms derived from English#FIREWALL firewall.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fajeɾˈwal/ [fa.jeɾˈwal]Category:Spanish 3-syllable words#FIREWALLCategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#FIREWALL
- IPA(key): /fajeɾˈw̝al/ [fa.jeɾˈw̝al]Category:Spanish 3-syllable words#FIREWALLCategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#FIREWALL
- Rhymes: -alCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/al#FIREWALLCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/al/3 syllables#FIREWALL
Noun
firewall m (plural firewalls)Category:Spanish lemmas#FIREWALLCategory:Spanish nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Spanish countable nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Spanish terms spelled with W#FIREWALLCategory:Spanish entries with incorrect language header#FIREWALLCategory:Spanish masculine nouns#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with entries#FIREWALLCategory:Pages with 5 entries#FIREWALL
Usage notes
According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.