firewall
UK[ˈfaɪə.wɔːl]US[ˈfaɪr.wɑːl]
n
A wall or partition designed to inhibit or prevent the spread of fire.
n
A part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting outward communication.
Morpheme Breakdown
fire
wall
fire
wall
rampart
Etymology
The word 'firewall' is a transparent compound formed from two native English elements, 'fire' and 'wall'. Its literal sense, a barrier to stop the advance of a fire, is a direct and logical combination of these concrete nouns. This tangible concept was later adopted in the late 20th century within computing as a metaphor. In this digital context, the 'wall' is a software or hardware barrier, and 'fire' metaphorically represents the danger of unauthorized data access or malicious network traffic, thus extending the original logic of protection and containment into the abstract realm of cybersecurity.
Analysis
Structure: fire + wall
fire: From Old English 'fȳr', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch 'vuur' and German 'Feuer'. Denotes combustion, heat, and light.
wall: From Old English 'weall', from Latin 'vallum' meaning 'rampart'. Denotes a continuous vertical structure that encloses or divides an area.
Examples
The building code requires a firewall between the garage and the living area.
Make sure your computer's firewall is turned on to protect against hackers.
The new security policy acts as a firewall against financial fraud.