Walk"ing, a. & n. from Walk, v.
Walking beam. See Beam, 10. — Walking crane, a kind of traveling crane.
See under Crane. — Walking fern. (Bot.) See Walking leaf, below. —
Walking fish (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Asiatic fishes of
the genus Ophiocephalus, some of which, as O. marulius, become over
four feet long. They have a special cavity over the gills lined with a
membrane adapted to retain moisture to aid in respiration, and are thus
able to travel considerable distances over the land at night, whence
the name. They construct a curious nest for their young. Called also
langya. — Walking gentleman (Theater), an actor who usually fills
subordinate parts which require a gentlemanly appearance but few words.
[Cant] — Walking lady (Theater), an actress who usually fills such
parts as require only a ladylike appearance on the stage. [Cant] —
Walking leaf. (a) (Bot.) A little American fern (Camptosorus
rhizophyllus); — so called because the fronds taper into slender
prolongations which often root at the apex, thus producing new plants.
(b) (Zoöl.) A leaf insect. See under Leaf. — Walking papers, or Walking
ticket, an order to leave; dismissal, as from office. [Colloq.]
Bartlett. — Walking stick. (a) A stick or staff carried in the hand for
hand for support or amusement when walking; a cane. (b) (Zoöl.) A stick
insect; — called also walking straw. See Illust. of Stick insect, under
Stick. — Walking wheel (Mach.), a prime mover consisting of a wheel
driven by the weight of men or animals walking either in it or on it; a
treadwheel.
Walk"-mill` (?), n. [Walk to Walking Leaf, or full + mill.] A fulling
mill. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
Walk"-o`ver (?), n. In racing, the going over a course by a horse which
has no competitor for the prize; hence, colloquially, a one-sided
contest; an uncontested, or an easy, victory.
Wal"kyr, n. (Scand. Myth.) See Valkyria.
Wall (?), n. (Naut.) A kind of knot often used at the end of a rope; a
wall knot; a wale.
Wall knot, a knot made by unlaying the strands of a rope, and making a
bight with the first strand, then passing the second over the end of
the first, and the third over the end of the second and through the
bight of the first; a wale knot. Wall knots may be single or double,
crowned or double- crowned.
Wall (?), n. [AS. weall, from L. vallum a wall, vallus a stake, pale,
palisade; akin to Gr. &?; a nail. Cf. Interval.]
1. A work or structure of stone, brick, or other materials, raised to
some height, and intended for defense or security, solid and permanent
inclosing fence, as around a field, a park, a town, etc., also, one of
the upright inclosing parts of a building or a room.
The plaster of the wall of the King's palace.
Dan. v. 5.
2. A defense; a rampart; a means of protection; in the plural,
fortifications, in general; works for defense.
The waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their
left.
Ex. xiv. 22.
In such a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Troyan walls.
Shak.
To rush undaunted to defend the walls.
Dryden.
3. An inclosing part of a receptacle or vessel; as, the walls of a
steam-engine cylinder.
4. (Mining) (a) The side of a level or drift. (b) The country rock
bounding a vein laterally. Raymond.
Wall is often used adjectively, and also in the formation of compounds,
usually of obvious signification; as in wall paper, or wall-paper; wall
fruit, or wall-fruit; wallflower, etc.
Blank wall, Blind wall, etc. See under Blank, Blind, etc. — To drive to
the wall, to bring to extremities; to push to extremes; to get the
advantage of, or mastery over. — To go to the wall, to be hard pressed
or driven; to be the weaker party; to be pushed to extremes. — To take
the wall. to take the inner side of a walk, that is, the side next the
wall; hence, to take the precedence. "I will take the wall of any man
or maid of Montague's." Shak. — Wall barley (Bot.), a kind of grass
(Hordeum murinum) much resembling barley; squirrel grass. See under
Squirrel. — Wall box. (Mach.) See Wall frame, below. — Wall creeper
(Zoöl.), a small bright- colored bird (Tichodroma muraria) native of
Asia and Southern Europe. It climbs about over old walls and cliffs in
search of insects and spiders. Its body is ash-gray above, the wing
coverts are carmine-red, the primary quills are mostly red at the base
and black distally, some of them with white spots, and the tail is
blackish. Called also spider catcher. — Wall cress (Bot.), a name given
to several low cruciferous herbs, especially to the mouse-ear cress.
See under Mouse-ear. — Wall frame (Mach.), a frame set in a wall to
receive a pillow block or bearing for a shaft passing through the wall;
— called also wall box. — Wall fruit, fruit borne by trees trained
against a wall. — Wall gecko (Zoöl.), any one of several species of Old
World geckos which live in or about buildings and run over the vertical
surfaces of walls, to which they cling by means of suckers on the feet.
— Wall lizard (Zoöl.), a common European lizard (Lacerta muralis) which
frequents houses, and lives in the chinks and crevices of walls; —
called also wall newt. — Wall louse, a wood louse. — Wall moss (Bot.),
any species of moss growing on walls. — Wall newt (Zoöl.), the wall
lizard. Shak. — Wall paper, paper for covering the walls of rooms;
paper hangings. — Wall pellitory (Bot.), a European plant (Parictaria
officinalis) growing on old walls, and formerly esteemed medicinal. —
Wall pennywort (Bot.), a plant (Cotyledon Umbilicus) having rounded
fleshy leaves. It is found on walls in Western Europe. — Wall pepper
(Bot.), a low mosslike plant (Sedum acre) with small fleshy leaves
having a pungent taste and bearing yellow flowers. It is common on
walls and rocks in Europe, and is sometimes seen in America. — Wall pie
(Bot.), a kind of fern; wall rue. — Wall piece, a gun planted on a
wall. H. L. Scott. — Wall plate (Arch.), a piece of timber placed
horizontally upon a wall, and supporting posts, joists, and the like.
See Illust. of Roof. — Wall rock, granular limestone used in building
walls. [U. S.] Bartlett. — Wall rue (Bot.), a species of small fern
(Asplenium Ruta-muraria) growing on walls, rocks, and the like. — Wall
spring, a spring of water issuing from stratified rocks. — Wall tent, a
tent with upright cloth sides corresponding to the walls of a house. —
Wall wasp (Zoöl.), a common European solitary wasp (Odynerus parietus)
which makes its nest in the crevices of walls.
Wall (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Walled (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Walling.]
1. To inclose with a wall, or as with a wall. "Seven walled towns of
strength." Shak.
The king of Thebes, Amphion, That with his singing walled that city.
Chaucer.