gate

noun

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)

Synonyms of gate

• door

Examples of gate in a Sentence

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

As the brothers’ assets were seized, Ferraris, McLarens, and Lamborghinis were towed through their compound’s gates. —Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026

Protests outside the gates have shown activists pummeling cars, impeding the exits and in some cases getting hurled out of the way after collisions with vehicles attempting to speed away from the violent activists. —Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026

But its real appeal to collectors lies in that magnificent metal open-gate manual shifter. —Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 8 June 2026

Maraga was detained and later released while staging a sit-in on a major road outside the national park’s main gate. —ABC News, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing gate

• gate-crasher
• 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