firewallnoun/ˈfaɪə.wɔəl/

• 1

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

• 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.

• 3

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

• 4

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

  • 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.
• 5

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

  • "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.
  • 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.

firewallverb/ˈfaɪə.wɔəl/

• 1

  To protect with a firewall.

• 2

  To block with a firewall.

• 3

  slangTo use maximum engine power or acceleration.