tide gate

American  

noun

1. a gate through which water flows when the tide is in one direction and that closes automatically when the tide is in the opposite direction.

2. a restricted passage, as a strait, through which the tide flows swiftly.

---

Etymology

Origin of tide gate

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

Downstream, a privately owned tide gate blocked fish from even entering Duffner Ditch.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 10, 2024

She heard that the Army Corps of Engineers wouldn’t be coming to build a berm or tide gate; the area had recently been evaluated, and such costly protections seemed unlikely.

From Scientific American • Jul. 27, 2018

Other ideas have been proposed, like the installation of a tide gate in Newport Beach Harbor.

From Scientific American • Mar. 29, 2018

“Functionally, the tide gate doesn’t work,” Stein said.

From Scientific American • Mar. 29, 2018

But if sea levels rise 5 feet, a tide gate would need to stay closed almost permanently, meaning boats could never get out of harbor.

From Scientific American • Mar. 29, 2018