Standard Lemma guide

firewall

noun · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈfaɪə.wɔəl/
  • UK: /ˈfaɪ.əˌwɔːl/
  • US: /ˈfaɪ(ə)ɹˌwɔl/
  • US: /ˈfaɪ(ə)ɹˌwɑl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F AY1 R W AA0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A fireproof barrier used to prevent the spread of fire between or through buildings, structures, electrical substation transformers, or within an aircraft or vehicle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: architecture

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: computer security

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A hypothetical phenomenon where an observer falling into a black hole encounters high-energy quanta at or near the event horizon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An ethical wall; an organizational or legal separation between two entities that might otherwise cause conflicts of interest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

An unwritten agreement among major political parties to refuse to govern or cooperate with national conservative and ultranationalist parties.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Germany, especially

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To protect with a firewall.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Qualifier: computer security

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To block with a firewall.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Qualifier: computer security

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To use maximum engine power or acceleration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, slang

Qualifier: motor vehicles or aircraft

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

(colloquial) the application of maximum thrust

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he moved the throttle to the firewall

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: drive, thrust, driving force

10

noun

Meaning 10

a fireproof (or fire-resistant) wall designed to prevent the spread of fire through a building or a vehicle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wall

11

noun

Meaning 11

(computing) a security system consisting of a combination of hardware and software that limits the exposure of a computer or computer network to attack from crackers; commonly used on local area networks that are connected to the internet

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: security system

History

Etymology

From fire + wall. 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 German Brandmauer.

Across languages

Translations

117 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: muri i zjarrit — fireproof barrier
  • Armenian: հակահրդեհային պատ (hakahrdehayin pat) — fireproof barrier
  • Armenian: անկիզապատ (ankizapat) — fireproof barrier
  • Basque: suebaki — fireproof barrier
  • Bulgarian: огнеупорна стена (ogneuporna stena) — fireproof barrier
  • Chinese: 防火牆 /防火墙 (fánghuǒqiáng) — fireproof barrier
  • Danish: brandmur — fireproof barrier
  • Dutch: brandmuur — fireproof barrier
  • Estonian: tulemüür — fireproof barrier
  • Finnish: paloseinä — fireproof barrier
  • Finnish: palomuuri — fireproof barrier
  • French: mur coupe-feu — fireproof barrier
  • Galician: cortalumes — fireproof barrier
  • Galician: muro cortalumes — fireproof barrier
  • Georgian: ბრანდმაუერი (brandmaueri) — fireproof barrier
  • Georgian: ხანძარსაწინააღმდეგო კედელი (xanʒarsac̣inaaɣmdego ḳedeli) — fireproof barrier
  • Georgian: ცეცხლგამძლე კედელი (cecxlgamʒle ḳedeli) — fireproof barrier
  • German: Brandmauer — fireproof barrier
  • German: Brandwand — fireproof barrier
  • Greek: αλεξίπυρο διάφραγμα (alexípyro diáfragma) — fireproof barrier
  • Hungarian: tűzfal — fireproof barrier
  • Japanese: 防火壁 (bōkaheki) — fireproof barrier
  • Kazakh: брандмауэр (brandmauér) — fireproof barrier
  • Khmer: ជញ្ជាំងភ្លើង (chʊəñcheang pləəng) — fireproof barrier
  • Korean: 방화벽 (banghwabyeok) — fireproof barrier
  • Macedonian: противпожарен ѕид (protivpožaren dzid) — fireproof barrier
  • Malay: tembok api — fireproof barrier
  • Māori: pātūahi — fireproof barrier
  • Navajo: kǫʼ bidáadinílei — fireproof barrier
  • Navajo: kǫʼ bichʼą́ą́h naníʼáhígíí — fireproof barrier
  • Norwegian Bokmål: brannmur — fireproof barrier
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: brannmur — fireproof barrier
  • Polish: ściana ogniowa — fireproof barrier
  • Portuguese: parede corta-fogo — fireproof barrier
  • Russian: о́гненный барье́р (ógnennyj barʹjér) — fireproof barrier
  • Russian: брандма́уэр (brandmáuer) — fireproof barrier
  • Serbo-Croatian: ватробран — fireproof barrier
  • Serbo-Croatian: vatrobran — fireproof barrier
  • Spanish: muro cortafuego — fireproof barrier
  • Thai: ไฟร์วอลล์ (fai-won) — fireproof barrier
  • Thai: ด่านกันบุกรุก (dàan gan bùkgàrúk) — fireproof barrier
  • Turkish: güvenlik duvarı — fireproof barrier
  • Ukrainian: брандмауер (brandmauer) — fireproof barrier
  • Arabic: جِدَار ناريّ — computer software
  • Arabic: فَايْرْوُول (fayrwōl) — computer software
  • Armenian: հրապատ (hrapat) — computer software
  • Azerbaijani: qoruyucu divar — computer software
  • Azerbaijani: fayrvol — computer software
  • Basque: suebaki — computer software
  • Bulgarian: защитна стена (zaštitna stena) — computer software
  • Catalan: tallafoc — computer software
  • Chinese Mandarin: 防火牆 /防火墙 (fánghuǒqiáng) — computer software
  • Czech: firewall — computer software
  • Dutch: vuurmuur — computer software
  • Dutch: firewall — computer software
  • Esperanto: fajroŝirmilo — computer software
  • Esperanto: fajromuro — computer software
  • Estonian: tulemüür — computer software
  • Finnish: palomuuri — computer software
  • French: pare-feu — computer software
  • Galician: devasa — computer software
  • Galician: cortalumes — computer software
  • Georgian: ქსელის დაცვა (kselis dacva) — computer software
  • Georgian: ქსელის დამცავი კედელი (kselis damcavi ḳedeli) — computer software
  • Georgian: ფაირვოლი (pairvoli) — computer software
  • German: Firewall — computer software
  • Greek: τείχος προστασίας (teíchos prostasías) — computer software
  • Gujarati: આગભીંત (āgabhī̃t) — computer software
  • Hindi: फ़ायरवॉल (fāyarvŏl) — computer software
  • Hungarian: tűzfal — computer software
  • Icelandic: eldveggur — computer software
  • Indonesian: tembok api — computer software
  • Indonesian: tembok pelindung — computer software
  • Irish: balla dóiteáin — computer software
  • Japanese: ファイアーウォール (faiāwōru) — computer software
  • Kazakh: желіаралық қалқан (jelıaralyq qalqan) — computer software
  • Khmer: ជញ្ជាំងភ្លើង (chʊəñcheang pləəng) — computer software
  • Korean: 방화벽 (banghwabyeok) — computer software
  • Latvian: ugunsmūris — computer software
  • Macedonian: заштитен ѕид (zaštiten dzid) — computer software
  • Macedonian: огнен ѕид (ognen dzid) — computer software
  • Malay: tembok api — computer software
  • Māori: pātūahi — computer software
  • Norwegian Bokmål: brannmur — computer software
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: brannmur — computer software
  • Polish: zapora sieciowa — computer software
  • Portuguese: firewall — computer software
  • Portuguese: firewall — computer software
  • Russian: межсетево́й экра́н (mežsetevój ekrán) — computer software
  • Russian: брандма́уэр (brandmáuer) — computer software
  • Russian: файрво́лл (fajrvóll) — computer software
  • Scottish Gaelic: cachaileith-theine — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: заштитни зид — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: сигурносна стијена — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: ватрозид — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: ватрени зид — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: ватробран — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: фајервол — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: фајервал — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: zaštitni zid — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: sigurnosna stijena — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: vatrozid — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: vatreni zid — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: vatrobran — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: fajervol — computer software
  • Serbo-Croatian: fajerval — computer software
  • Slovak: firewall — computer software
  • Slovene: zaščitni zid — computer software
  • Slovene: požarni zid — computer software
  • Spanish: cortafuegos — computer software
  • Spanish: firewall — computer software
  • Spanish: cortafuego — computer software
  • Swedish: brandvägg — computer software
  • Thai: ไฟร์วอลล์ (fai-won) — computer software
  • Turkish: güvenlik duvarı — computer software
  • Turkish: ateş duvarı — computer software
  • Vietnamese: tường lửa — computer software
Real reading context

firewall in complete knowledge articles