gate

noun (1)

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\ ˈgāt

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

(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 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

verb

gated; gating

Definition of gate (Entry 2 of 4)

transitive verb

1 British : to confine to a campus or dormitory

2 : to supply with a gate

3 : to control with a gate

gate

noun (2)

Definition of gate (Entry 3 of 4)

1 archaic : way, path

2 dialect : method, style

-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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Cite this Entry

“Gate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gate. Accessed 16 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for gate

gate

noun

\ ˈgāt

Kids Definition of gate

1 : an opening in a wall or fence

2 : a part of a barrier (as a fence) that opens and closes like a door

3 : a door, valve, or other device for controlling the flow of water or other fluids canal gates

4 : an area at an airport where passengers arrive and leave

gate

noun

\ ˈgāt

Medical Definition of gate

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

transitive verb

gated; gating

Medical Definition of gate (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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

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