tide gate

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tide gate¹

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

The dam and tide gate, built in 1951, transformed the Deschutes Estuary — where the river historically spilled into the saltwater of Budd Inlet over expansive tidal flats — into a freshwater pool that reflects the Capitol.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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