gate

¹

[ geyt ]

noun

1. a movable barrier, usually on hinges, closing an opening in a fence, wall, or other enclosure.
2. an opening permitting passage through an enclosure.
3. 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.

4. any means of access or entrance:

   The gate to stardom is talent.

5. a mountain pass.
6. any movable barrier, as at a tollbooth or a road or railroad crossing.
7. a gateway or passageway in a passenger terminal or pier that leads to a place for boarding a train, plane, or ship.
8. a sliding barrier for regulating the passage of water, steam, or the like, as in a dam or pipe; valve.
9. Skiing.
   1. an obstacle in a slalom race, consisting of two upright poles anchored in the snow a certain distance apart.
   2. the opening between these poles, through which a competitor in a slalom race must ski.
10. the total number of persons who pay for admission to an athletic contest, a performance, an exhibition, etc.
11. the total receipts from such admissions.
12. Cell Biology. a temporary channel in a cell membrane through which substances diffuse into or out of a cell.
13. Movies. film gate.
14. a sash or frame for a saw or gang of saws.
15. Metallurgy.
    1. Also called ingate. a channel or opening in a mold through which molten metal is poured into the mold cavity.
    2. the waste metal left in such a channel after hardening.
16. Electronics.
    1. a signal that makes an electronic circuit operative or inoperative either for a certain time interval or until another signal is received.
    2. 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.

1. (at British universities) to punish by confining to the college grounds.
2. Electronics.
   1. to control the operation of (an electronic device) by means of a gate.
   2. 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.

1. Metallurgy. to make or use a gate.

gate

²

[ geyt ]

noun

1. Archaic. a path; way.
2. North England and Scot.. habitual manner or way of acting.

-gate

³

1. a combining form extracted from Watergate, occurring as the final element in journalistic coinages, usually nonce words, that name scandals resulting from concealed crime or other alleged improprieties in government or business:

   Koreagate.

gate

¹

/ ɡeɪt /

noun

1. a way, road, street, or path
2. a way or method of doing something

-gate

²

combining form

1. indicating a person or thing that has been the cause of, or is associated with, a public scandal

   Camillagate

   Irangate

gate

³

/ ɡeɪt /

noun

1. a movable barrier, usually hinged, for closing an opening in a wall, fence, etc
2. an opening to allow passage into or out of an enclosed place
3. any means of entrance or access
4. a mountain pass or gap, esp one providing entry into another country or region
5. 1. the number of people admitted to a sporting event or entertainment
   2. the total entrance money received from them
6. (in a large airport) any of the numbered exits leading to the airfield or aircraft

   passengers for Paris should proceed to gate 14

7. horse racing short for starting gate
8. electronics
   1. 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
   2. a circuit used in radar that allows only a fraction of the input signal to pass
9. 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
10. a component in a motion-picture camera or projector that holds each frame flat and momentarily stationary behind the lens
11. a slotted metal frame that controls the positions of the gear lever in a motor vehicle
12. rowing a hinged clasp to prevent the oar from jumping out of a rowlock
13. a frame surrounding the blade or blades of a saw

verb

1. to provide with a gate or gates
2. to restrict (a student) to the school or college grounds as a punishment
3. to select (part of a waveform) in terms of amplitude or time

gate

⁴

/ ɡeɪt /

noun

1. the channels by which molten metal is poured into a mould
2. the metal that solidifies in such channels

Derived Forms

• ˈgateless, adjective
• ˈgateˌlike, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gate¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English gat, gate, geat, Old English geat (plural gatu ); cognate with Low German, Dutch gat “hole, breach”; gate ²

Origin of gate²

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; gat ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of gate¹

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

Origin of gate²

C20: on the analogy of Watergate

Origin of gate³

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

Origin of gate⁴

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. get the gate, Slang. to be dismissed, sent away, or rejected.
2. give (someone) the gate, Slang.
   1. to reject (a person), as one's fiancé, lover, or friend.
   2. to dismiss from one's employ:

      They gave him the gate because he was caught stealing.

More idioms and phrases containing gate

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

Example Sentences

Mushie was gone, having gotten out of her harness somehow and run out of the gate.

From Los Angeles Times

The Jake Paul-Mike Tyson bout that brought massive viewership numbers to Netflix last week also resulted in a record-setting gate.

From Los Angeles Times

Paul’s unanimous-decision victory over Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Friday has netted a gate of $18,117,072, a number that Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions says shatters the U.S. record for a boxing or MMA event held outside of Las Vegas.

From Los Angeles Times

“From setting the highest gate outside of Las Vegas in U.S. history for a combat sports event to becoming the most streamed sporting event in U.S. history, this event is a testament to the global impact of Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, and the incredible athletes on this card,” MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

Overall, the Tyson-Paul gate is the ninth-highest for a U.S. boxing match.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bar
• door
• doorway
• exit
• fence
• port

Words That Use -gate

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.

Examples of -gate

An example of a word you may have encountered that features –gate is Deflategate, a term given to the allegation that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ordered the deliberate deflation of footballs in the 2014 AFC Championship Game.

The deflate– part of the word means “to release the air or gas from.” As we have already seen, –gate is a combining form meaning “scandal.” Deflategate literally means “deflation scandal.”

What are some words that use the combining form –gate?

• Bridgegate
• Choppergate
• Pizzagate
• Spygate
• Taxigate
• Zippergate

What are some other forms that –gate may be commonly confused with?

• -ate
• -ation

Not every word that ends with the exact letters –gate, such as corrugate or subjugate, is necessarily using the combining form –gate to denote “scandal.” Learn why subjugate means “to bring under control” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

Given the meaning of –gate, what does Taxigate likely refer to?