word-vault

{ "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’." }