{
    "term": "wall",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a long, solid structure that rises straight up from the ground, made of stone, brick or concrete, that surrounds, divides or protects an area of land",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to **build a wall**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a **brick/concrete wall**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The fields were divided by **stone walls**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He sat on the wall and watched the others playing."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The enemy set up camp just outside the city walls."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a private garden hidden behind high walls"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They quickly climbed over the wall and ran off."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The Trojans brought the Wooden Horse within the walls."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His plan was to fortify the defensive walls around the city."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Nobody can see behind the wall."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The burglars must have scaled the side wall."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There was a wall separating the two garages."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They built a retaining wall around the pond."
                },
                {
                    "text": "high walls around the prison"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the wall along the seafront"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Buildings"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["high", "low", "long"],
                "verb + wall": ["build", "erect", "put up"],
                "wall + verb": ["stand", "collapse", "fall"],
                "wall + noun": ["clock", "light", "plug"],
                "preposition": [
                    "against a/​the wall",
                    "behind a/​the wall",
                    "on a/​the wall"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "any of the sides of a building or room",
            "sensetop": "on the wallwall between A and B",
            "labels": "(British English)(especially North American English)(British English)(British English)(North American English)(British English)(especially British English)(British English)(British English)(especially British English)(especially British English)(North American English usually)",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She **leaned against the wall**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Colourful abstract paintings **hung on the walls**.",
                    "contextForm": "on the wall"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He drilled a **hole in the wall**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Books **lined the walls**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'm going to paint the walls white and the ceiling pink."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the row of tables along the back wall"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Pictures covered the walls."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the wall between the living room and the dining room",
                    "contextForm": "wall between A and B"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Photos were pinned to the wall behind her desk."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A glass wall separates the foyer from the gallery."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He heard voices through the wall."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Ivy grew along the outer walls of the building."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Hang the picture on the wall opposite the window."
                },
                {
                    "text": "If a load-bearing wall is weakened, the building could fall down."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She covered her walls with pictures of film stars."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She hung the photos on the wall."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She just sat there, staring at the wall."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She turned and faced the wall."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the wall facing the door"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to stare at a blank wall"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Houses and homes", "Buildings"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["high", "low", "long"],
                "verb + wall": ["build", "erect", "put up"],
                "wall + verb": ["stand", "collapse", "fall"],
                "wall + noun": ["clock", "light", "plug"],
                "preposition": [
                    "against a/​the wall",
                    "behind a/​the wall",
                    "on a/​the wall"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "something that forms a barrier or stops you from making progress",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The boat struck a solid wall of water."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The investigators were confronted by a **wall of silence**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a solid wall of fog"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "the outer layer of something hollow such as an organ of the body or a cell of an animal or a plant",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the abdominal wall"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the wall of an artery"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Heating food breaks down plant **cell walls** so they can release more of their nutrients."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Biology"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "a space on a social media website where you can share messages, photos, etc. with other users",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She posted a pink baby romper on her Facebook wall, announcing they were expecting a girl."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to keep trying to do something that will never be successful",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Trying to reason with them was like banging my head against a brick wall."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Difficulty and failure"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be so full of energy or so excited that you cannot keep still",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The kids have been bouncing off the walls all day."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be unable to make any progress because there is a difficulty that stops you",
            "examples": [],
            "topics": ["Difficulty and failure"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a person who watches others without being noticed",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he tells her the news."
                },
                {
                    "text": "fly-on-the-wall documentaries *(= in which people are filmed going about their normal lives as if the camera were not there)*"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to fail because of lack of money",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Many firms have gone to the wall in this recession."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Business"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used when you are describing a situation in which there are signs that something is going to have problems or that it is going to be a failure",
            "labels": "(saying)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It is amazing that not one of them saw the handwriting on the wall."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be in a difficult situation in which you are forced to do something but are unable to make the choices that you would like",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We had our backs to the wall with no choice but to sell."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to reach a point when you cannot continue or make any more progress",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We hit a wall and we weren't scoring."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I’ve hit a wall with my marathon training."
                },
                {
                    "text": "What do you do when you hit the wall at work?"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "unusual or slightly crazy",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Some of his ideas are really off the wall."
                },
                {
                    "text": "off-the-wall ideas"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used when you are talking about keeping something secret",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Don't let this go further than these four walls *(= Don't tell anyone else who is not in the room now)*."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "crazy or angry",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "That noise is driving me up the wall."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I mustn't be late or Dad will go up the wall."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to warn people to be careful what they say because other people may be listening",
            "labels": "(saying)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used when you are describing a situation in which there are signs that something is going to have problems or that it is going to be a failure",
            "labels": "(saying)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It is amazing that not one of them saw the writing on the wall."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Difficulty and failure"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/wɔːl/",
                "audio": "wa/wall/wall__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/wɔːl/",
                "audio": "wa/wall/wall__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English, from Latin vallum ‘rampart’, from vallus ‘stake’."
}