Gates

[ geyts ]

/ geɪts /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR Gates ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Horatio,1728–1806, American Revolutionary general, born in England.

WilliamBill, born 1956, U.S. entrepreneur.

Nearby words

gastrulation, gasworks, gat, gat-toothed, gata, Gates, gate array, gate leg, gate money, gate theory, gate valve

Definition for gates (2 of 3)

gate

[ geyt ]

/ geɪt /

noun

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.

verb (used with object), gat·ed, gat·ing.

(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.

verb (used without object), gat·ed, gat·ing.

Metallurgy. to make or use a gate.

Origin of gate

before 900; Middle English gat, gate, Old English geat (plural gatu); cognate with Low German, Dutch gat hole, breach; cf. gate²

Can be confusedgait gate

Definition for gates (3 of 3)

gate

[ geyt ]

/ geɪt /

noun

Archaic. a path; way.

North England and Scot.. habitual manner or way of acting.

Origin of gate

1150–1200; Middle English < Old Norse gata path; perhaps akin to Old English geat gate¹; cf. gat³

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gates

KSM enters the complex through a “Sally Port,” a series of gates designed to allow just one vehicle in at a time.
9/11 Mastermind Is Afraid of the Ladies|Tim Mak|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even Defense Secretary Gates, at least for a time, was open to the notion.
The Detainee Abuse Photos Obama Didn’t Want You To See|Noah Shachtman, Tim Mak|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Eleven years earlier, Gates had set the record for biggest gift of all time by pledging $11 billion to the foundation.
How Does Zuckerberg’s Ebola Pledge Measure Up To Other Bigwig Donations?|Nina Strochlic|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But when a financial model depends on millions of users, and mere algorithms patrolling the gates, lapses are inevitable.
Facebook Apologizes For, but Doesn’t Retract, Discriminatory ‘Real Name’ Policy|Jay Michaelson|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

By the time I travelled to Lebanon in late July to visit my parents, ISIS was at the gates, not of our town but of the country.
Beirut Letter: In Lebanon, Fighting ISIS With Culture and Satire|Kim Ghattas|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the capitulation of Burgoyne, near five thousand men had been detached by Gates to his aid.
The Life of George Washington, Vol. 2 (of 5)|John Marshall
The gates of the palace were open, so I descended from my mule and entered, and lo!
George Cruikshank's Omnibus|George Cruikshank
Thus, the country cousin within our gates is more learned in the stock sights of town than townsfolk themselves.
The Brighton Road|Charles G. Harper
So they flew away again; and Kit marched into the city and up to the gates of the King's palace.
The Other Side of the Sun|Evelyn Sharp
The garrison were on the point of closing the gates against him.
John Nicholson|R. E. Cholmeley

British Dictionary definitions for gates (1 of 4)

Gates

/ (ɡeɪts) /

noun

Bill, full name William Henry Gates. born 1955, US computer-software executive and philanthropist; founder (1976) of Microsoft Corporation

Henry Louis. born 1950, US scholar and critic, who pioneered African-American studies in such works as Figures in Black (1987)

Horatio. ?1728–1806, American Revolutionary general: defeated the British at Saratoga (1777)

British Dictionary definitions for gates (2 of 4)

gate

/ (ɡeɪt) /

noun

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 aircraftpassengers 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

verb (tr)

to provide with a gate or gates

British 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

Derived Formsgateless, adjectivegatelike, adjective

Word Origin for gate

Old English geat; related to Old Frisian jet opening, Old Norse gat opening, passage

British Dictionary definitions for gates (3 of 4)

gate

/ (ɡeɪt) /

noun dialect

the channels by which molten metal is poured into a mould

the metal that solidifies in such channels

Word Origin for gate

C17: probably related to Old English gyte a pouring out, geotan to pour

British Dictionary definitions for gates (4 of 4)

gate

/ (ɡeɪt) /

noun Scot and Northern English dialect

a way, road, street, or path

a way or method of doing something

Word Origin for gate

C13: from Old Norse gata path; related to Old High German gazza road, street

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gates (1 of 2)

gate

"opening, entrance," Old English geat (plural geatu) "gate, door, opening, passage, hinged framework barrier," from Proto-Germanic *gatan (cf. Old Norse gat "opening, passage," Old Saxon gat "eye of a needle, hole," Old Frisian gat "hole, opening," Dutch gat "gap, hole, breach," German Gasse "street"), of unknown origin. Meaning "money collected from selling tickets" dates from 1896 (short for gate money, 1820). Gate-crasher is from 1927. Finnish katu, Lettish gatua "street" are Germanic loan-words.

Word Origin and History for gates (1 of 2)

gate

"provide with a gate," 1906, from gate (n.). Originally of moulds. Related: Gated (1620s). Gated community recorded by 1989 (earliest reference to Emerald Bay, Laguna Beach, Calif.

Idioms and Phrases with gates

gate

see crash the gate; give someone the air (gate).

Gates

noun

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Definition for gates (2 of 3)

gate

noun

verb (used with object), gat·ed, gat·ing.

verb (used without object), gat·ed, gat·ing.

Origin of gate

Definition for gates (3 of 3)

gate

noun

Origin of gate

Examples from the Web for gates

British Dictionary definitions for gates (1 of 4)

Gates

noun

British Dictionary definitions for gates (2 of 4)

gate

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for gate

British Dictionary definitions for gates (3 of 4)

gate

noun dialect

Word Origin for gate

British Dictionary definitions for gates (4 of 4)

gate

noun Scot and Northern English dialect

Word Origin for gate

Word Origin and History for gates (1 of 2)

gate

Word Origin and History for gates (1 of 2)

gate

Idioms and Phrases with gates

gate