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

Paramedics told reporters that the man’s injuries are not considered life-threatening; police confirmed at a press conference Tuesday that a security guard who had been standing outside the building’s gates was the victim. —Karen Bliss, Variety, 7 May 2024

The victim was a security guard who was standing outside the gates. —Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024

Two years after a weekend of Garth Brooks concerts caused serious traffic delays, the Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Missouri is opening up its gates again in May. —Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2024

Shuttles start running at 5:15 a.m., and the last shuttle will depart from the tournament grounds at 9 p.m. The rideshare drop-off and pick-up entry gate will be on Gleaneagles Road. —Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2024

But when one of these test subjects opens a gate to an alternate dimension, the lab’s secrets are threatened to be revealed. —Madeline Cisneros, EW.com, 5 May 2024

While the dirt track at Churchill Downs is only a mile long, the starting gate and the finish line are in different places, allowing the race to go that extra quarter mile. —Alex Sundby, CBS News, 3 May 2024

Only essential university employees and students who live on campus were allowed through the gates of the Ivy League school in New York City's Morningside Heights neighborhood, officials announced Tuesday morning. —David K. Li, NBC News, 1 May 2024

The officer reported hearing a child screaming and a gate rattling inside. —Doha Madani, NBC News, 25 Apr. 2024

Verb

Similar to other Metroidvania titles, areas are gated and they can be accessed via these powers, but for Zau, they’re hidden away in the Shaman Shrines scattered around the world. —Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024

That year, the Roberts’ trust gated the Loggers Trail easement. —Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024

Likewise, the speed at which a training cluster can save and restore checkpoint data can also gate the system's overall performance. —Steve McDowell, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Buckner argues the 2016 decision to gate Loggers Trail was a joint one to stop trespassers from entering her property. —Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024

The gardens feature mostly native and drought-tolerant plantings, ideal for the often arid Southern California climate, and naturally the entire property is walled and gated for privacy and security. —James McClain, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024

Also, the courts will be gated and locked after hours to prevent anyone from playing between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2024

Widebody gates, as the name implies, require more room, and those tend to be further out or at the ends of the concourses because there’s more space for those larger aircraft, Cornelius explained. —Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2024

While the house itself is not gated, the property lies within a 24/7 guarded community with frequent patrols and a plethora of security cameras. —James McClain, Robb Report, 31 Jan. 2024

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

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