gate

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈgāt 

1

: an opening in a wall or fence

2

: a city or castle entrance often with defensive structures (such as towers)

3

a

: the frame or door that closes a gate

b

: a movable barrier (as at a grade crossing)

4

a

: a means of entrance or exit

b

: starting gate

c

: an area (as at a railroad station or an airport) for departure or arrival

d

: a space between two markers through which a competitor must pass in the course of a slalom race

5

a

: a door, valve, or other device for controlling the passage especially of a fluid

b(1)

: an electronic switch that allows or prevents the flow of current in a circuit compare base entry 1, drain entry 2, source entry 1

(2)

: an electrode in a field-effect transistor that modulates the current flowing through the transistor according to the voltage applied to the electrode compare drain, source

c

: a device (as in a computer) that outputs a signal when specified input conditions are met

logic gate

d

: a molecule or part of a molecule that acts (as by a change in conformation) in response to a stimulus to permit or block passage (as of ions) through a cell membrane

6

slang : dismissal

—used in the phrases get the gate and give one the gate

If he does get the gate, expect him to have another job in the league by lunchtime.

—Bill Williamson

The boss gave him the gate after one too many unexcused absences.

7

: the total admission receipts or the number of spectators (as at a sports event)

gate

2 of 4

verb

gated; gating

transitive verb

1

British : to confine to a campus or dormitory

2

: to supply with a gate

3

: to control with a gate

gate

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

archaic : way, path

2

dialect : method, style

-gate

4 of 4

noun combining form

ˌgāt

: usually political scandal often involving the concealment of wrongdoing

Irangate

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• door
• hatch
• portal

Examples of gate in a Sentence

Noun (1)

be sure to latch the gate when you leave so the dog doesn't get out

passed through the gates of the walled city

opens the gate in the lock so the ships can get through the canal

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

To some of the interior battles: Baeza doesn’t seem like a colt that is easily spooked, and that’s a good thing, because the enormous differences between the Derby and every other race these colts have known are clear the moment the gates slam open. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025

Rodriguez had been slotted for the No. 4 post position, but Baeza will now wear the No. 21 and run out of the No. 20 gate, with the majority of the field sliding over one spot. —Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 3 May 2025

Verb

That means this is the fifth time in seven years that the Preakness gates open at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore without even a chance at a Triple Crown. —Stephen Whyno, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2025

Breaking Down Barriers—and Building Infrastructure For decades, innovation tools were gated—reserved for the elite R&D labs of global corporations or those backed by heavy venture capital. —Brent Gleeson, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English geat; akin to Old Norse gat opening

Noun (2)

Middle English, borrowed from Old Norse gata, going back to North and West Germanic *gatōn- (whence also Middle Low German gate "lane, street," Old High German gazza), East Germanic *gatwōn- (whence Gothic gatwo "street"), etymon of uncertain origin

Noun combining form

Watergate

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gate

• gate-crasher
• get the gate
• give one the gate
• lich-gate
• lych-gate
• starting gate
• water gate

Rhymes for gate

• ate
• bait
• bate
• cate
• crate
• date
• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate

Kids Definition

gate

noun

ˈgāt

1

: an opening in a wall or fence

2

: a city or castle entrance often with defensive structures

3

: the frame or door that closes a gate

4

: a means of entrance or exit

5

: a door, valve, or other device for controlling the passage of fluid

6

: the total admission receipts or the number of spectators especially at a sports event

Medical Definition

gate

1 of 2 noun

ˈgāt 

: a molecule or part of a molecule (as an amino acid sequence in a protein) that acts (as by a change in conformation) in response to a stimulus to permit or block passage through a cell membrane

gate

2 of 2 transitive verb

gated; gating

: to control passage through a cell membrane by way of (a specific channel) by supplying a specific stimulus

a transmembrane ion channel gated by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine

see ligand-gated, voltage-gated