firewall

noun

1. A 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. A 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. (Germany, especially)An 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.”

   “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.”

verb

1. (transitive)To protect with a firewall.
2. (transitive)To block with a firewall.
3. (intransitive, slang)To use maximum engine power or acceleration.