Definition of gate
(Entry 1 of 4)
1 : an opening in a wall or fence
2 : a city or castle entrance often with defensive structures (such as towers)
3a : the frame or door that closes a gate
b : a movable barrier (as at a grade crossing)
4a : 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
5a : 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
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 gateIf he does get the gate, expect him to have another job in the league by lunchtime.— Bill WilliamsonThe 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
verbgated; gating
Definition of gate (Entry 2 of 4)
1 British : to confine to a campus or dormitory
2 : to supply with a gate
3 : to control with a gate
gate
noun (2)-gate
noun combining form\ ˌgāt \
Definition of -gate (Entry 4 of 4)
: usually political scandal often involving the concealment of wrongdoing
Irangate
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Time Traveler for gate
The first known use of gate was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century