Firewall

Quick meaning: Firewall is a noun meaning (physics) A hypothetical phenomenon where an observer falling into a black hole encounters high-energy quanta at or near the event horizon.

Meaning

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

More Meanings

1. An ethical wall; an organizational or legal separation between two entities that might otherwise cause conflicts of interest.
2. (transitive, computer security) To protect with a firewall.
3. (transitive, computer security) To block with a firewall.
4. (intransitive, motor vehicles or aircraft, slang) To use maximum engine power or acceleration.
5. (architecture) A fireproof barrier used to prevent the spread of fire between or through buildings, structures, electrical substation transformers, or within an aircraft or vehicle.
6. (computer security) 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.
7. (politics, especially Germany) An unwritten agreement among major political parties to refuse to govern or cooperate with national conservative and ultranationalist parties.

Example Sentences

"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.

Most of the time, German parties come to power in states and nationally by forming coalitions. As long as the firewall holds, the only way the AfD can take power is by winning a straight-up majority. Which is what it seems poised to do in the September elections.

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.

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.

Word Forms

• firewalls
• firewalling
• firewalled

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include fire, server, cybersecurity, stateful, security, homed.

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