from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
flytrap \fly"trap\ (fl[imac]"tr[a^]p), n.
1. A trap for catching flies.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Bot.) A plant {(Dion[ae]a muscipula)}, called also
{Venus's flytrap}, having two-lobed leaves which are
fringed with stiff bristles, and fold together when
certain sensitive hairs on their upper surface are
touched, thus trapping insects that light on them. The
insects so caught are afterwards digested by a secretion
from the upper surface of the leaves. The plant is native
to North and South Carolina, growing in bogs.
[1913 Webster]
from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
firewall machine
flytrap
<networking> A dedicated gateway machine with special security
precautions on it, used to service outside network, especially
{Internet}, connections and dial-in lines. The idea is to
protect a cluster of more loosely administered machines hidden
behind it from {crackers}. The typical firewall is an
inexpensive {microprocessor}-based {Unix} machine with no
critical data, with modems and public network ports on it, but
just one carefully watched connection back to the rest of the
cluster. The special precautions may include threat
monitoring, {call-back}, and even a complete {iron box}
keyable to particular incoming IDs or activity patterns.
Firewalls often run {proxy gateways}.
Synonym {flytrap}, {Venus flytrap}.
(1997-06-08)