firewall

or fire wall

[ fahyuhr-wawl ]

noun
  1. a partition made of fireproof material to prevent the spread of a fire from one part of a building or ship to another or to isolate an engine compartment, as on a plane, automobile, etc.

  2. a person, thing, or event that acts as a barrier or protection against something undesirable: The new employee handbook should create a firewall against unethical business conduct.

  1. Digital Technology. an integrated collection of security measures designed to prevent unauthorized electronic access to a networked computer system.

Origin of firewall

1
An Americanism dating back to 1750–60

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use firewall in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for firewall

firewall

noun
  1. a fireproof wall or partition used to impede the progress of a fire, as from one room or compartment to another

  2. computing a computer system that isolates another computer from the internet in order to prevent unauthorized access

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for firewall

firewall

[ fîrwôl′ ]


  1. A software program or hardware device that restricts communication between a private network or computer system and outside networks.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for firewall

firewall

A means of separating a computer network from outside networks for security purposes. A server outside an organization's own network may be used to funnel all incoming and outgoing traffic to assist in keeping out viruses, as well as to prevent unauthorized outsiders from gaining access to a network.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.