a movable barrier, usually on hinges, closing an opening in a fence, wall, or other enclosure.
an opening permitting passage through an enclosure.
a tower, architectural setting, etc., for defending or adorning such an opening or for providing a monumental entrance to a street, park, etc..
the gates of the walled city;
the palace gate.
any means of access or entrance.
The gate to stardom is talent.
a mountain pass.
any movable barrier, as at a tollbooth or a road or railroad crossing.
a gateway or passageway in a passenger terminal or pier that leads to a place for boarding a train, plane, or ship.
a sliding barrier for regulating the passage of water, steam, or the like, as in a dam or pipe; valve.
Skiing.
an obstacle in a slalom race, consisting of two upright poles anchored in the snow a certain distance apart.
the opening between these poles, through which a competitor in a slalom race must ski.
the total number of persons who pay for admission to an athletic contest, a performance, an exhibition, etc.
the total receipts from such admissions.
Cell Biology. a temporary channel in a cell membrane through which substances diffuse into or out of a cell.
Movies. film gate.
a sash or frame for a saw or gang of saws.
Metallurgy.
Also called ingate. a channel or opening in a mold through which molten metal is poured into the mold cavity.
the waste metal left in such a channel after hardening.
Electronics.
a signal that makes an electronic circuit operative or inoperative either for a certain time interval or until another signal is received.
Also called logic gate. a circuit with one output that is activated only by certain combinations of two or more inputs.
(at British universities) to punish by confining to the college grounds.
Electronics.
to control the operation of (an electronic device) by means of a gate.
to select the parts of (a wave signal) that are within a certain range of amplitude or within certain time intervals.
give (someone) the gate,
to reject (a person), as one's fiancé, lover, or friend.
to dismiss from one's employ.
They gave him the gate because he was caught stealing.
get the gate, to be dismissed, sent away, or rejected.
Archaic. a path; way.
North England and Scot.. habitual manner or way of acting.
a movable barrier, usually hinged, for closing an opening in a wall, fence, etc
an opening to allow passage into or out of an enclosed place
any means of entrance or access
a mountain pass or gap, esp one providing entry into another country or region
the number of people admitted to a sporting event or entertainment
the total entrance money received from them
(in a large airport) any of the numbered exits leading to the airfield or aircraft
passengers for Paris should proceed to gate 14
horse racing short for starting gate
electronics
a logic circuit having one or more input terminals and one output terminal, the output being switched between two voltage levels determined by the combination of input signals
a circuit used in radar that allows only a fraction of the input signal to pass
the electrode region or regions in a field-effect transistor that is biased to control the conductivity of the channel between the source and drain
a component in a motion-picture camera or projector that holds each frame flat and momentarily stationary behind the lens
a slotted metal frame that controls the positions of the gear lever in a motor vehicle
rowing a hinged clasp to prevent the oar from jumping out of a rowlock
a frame surrounding the blade or blades of a saw
to provide with a gate or gates
to restrict (a student) to the school or college grounds as a punishment
to select (part of a waveform) in terms of amplitude or time
the channels by which molten metal is poured into a mould
the metal that solidifies in such channels
a way, road, street, or path
a way or method of doing something
What does -gate mean? The combining form -gate is used like a suffix meaning “scandal (often resulting from a concealed crime)” or "controversy." It is often used in informal terms, especially in politics and journalism. The form -gate comes from a shortened form of Watergate, a reference to the White House political scandal that came to light during the 1972 presidential campaign. The scandal centered on a break-in at the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate apartment-office complex in Washington, D. C., and, after congressional hearings, culminated in the resignation of President Nixon in 1974.
First recorded before 900; Middle English gat, gate, geat, Old English geat (plural gatu ); cognate with Low German, Dutch gat “hole, breach”; cf. gate 2
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English gate, gat, gata, from Old Norse gata “path, way, road,” Old High German gazza, German Gasse “lane, alley”; perhaps akin to Old English geat gate 1; cf. gat 3
A gate is a moveable barrier that closes or opens a gap in a wall or fence. A garden gate might swing on rusty hinges, when closed helping to keep deer away from your vegetables. A pasture gate keeps cattle or horses safe inside a fence, and if you visit someone who lives in a gated community, you'll have to be buzzed in before the gate opens to allow you inside. You'll also find gates at the airport — they're the areas with doors leading out to the airplane. The Old English source of gate is geat, "gate, door, opening, or passage."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The man appeared unresponsive and the yard was fenced, with a locked gate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The SUV drove me through an airport security gate and wended its way past rows of planes and runways before dropping me alongside the American Airlines 737 taking me to Phoenix.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
But in fact, all children benefit from a shift away from the "showing-off culture" at the school gate at the end of term, which can make them anxious, she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The pros included a vast support network of friends and neighbors, 24/7 security guards stationed at the entrance gate, and scenic lakes, swimming pools and tennis courts throughout her development.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
She closed the gate but didn’t lock it.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
That's far from the only scandal to rock the world of curling: The sport was also hit with two doping scandals during the 2010 Paralympics, and created another "-gate" scandal with 2009's "Dumpgate."
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2022
Meanwhile, Nixon still hovers in the dark shadows of American history, the jowly-faced villain tattooed on Roger Stone’s back, and his signature scandal has provided shorthand for every other -gate scandal that’s followed.
From New York Times ● Feb. 15, 2022
At a time when the U.S. president is facing impeachment — and the -gate suffix seems ubiquitous — the stage for the exhibition is a found object in its own right.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 14, 2019
People are talking about “threadfefes”, apparently, although the lack of a clear meaning makes the suffix harder to apply than, say, -gate.
From The Guardian ● May 31, 2017
Wick′et-door, -gate, a wicket; Wick′et-keep′er, in cricket, the fieldsman who stands immediately behind the wicket.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
And, perhaps most memorably significant, the Trojan Horse is discovered half-submerged on the beach, and not outside Troy’s gates on wheels.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Over the past year, the carrier has beefed up its schedule there and is poised to win back gates it previously lost.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
He was speaking after workers used a crane to remove the metal gates that had long separated La Linea from Gibraltar.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
The $1.3-billion project will include 14 gates — the same number the airport has now.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
A radiation-monitoring car parked at the plant’s gates, two-thirds of a mile from reactor 4, had been taking readings regularly since March 11.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
The gated community is made up of more than 100 two-story homes, each with two to three bedrooms and an average price ranging from $500,000 to $610,000, according to property records.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
In mid-February, a trust bought a 5,000-square-foot home listed for $2.4 million in a gated community in Denton County, according to the appraisal district and the seller’s real estate agent.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
LAKESIDE, Mont.— David Fetveit, a third-generation Montanan, is looking forward to the opening of Territory 1889 Golf & Lake Club, a luxury gated community of 359 homes rising in this corner of Big Sky Country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
The rest is gated behind driverless testing later this year, paid passenger pickups before year’s end and expansion through 2027.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
They live in a gated community called Belle Gardens.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
If funds keep having to pay out 5% of their assets quarter after quarter, some might be forced into fire sales or could freeze withdrawals altogether, a process called gating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
PSPOs replace earlier measures such as designated public place orders, gating orders, and dog control orders.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
Interval funds operate with defined liquidity windows and often include redemption limits, which can lead to gating in periods of elevated withdrawal requests.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 30, 2026
The funds started gating their exits and giving investors smaller and smaller prorated portions of the cash investors sought.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
I was also feeling rather dull, for I had already got through a fortnight of my gating, and to be kept in college after nine o'clock night after night is not very exciting.
From Godfrey Marten, Undergraduate by Turley, Charles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
