Watergate

1 of 2

noun (1)

Wa·​ter·​gate ˈwȯ-tər-ˌgāt 

ˈwä-

: a scandal usually involving abuses of office, skulduggery, and a cover-up

water gate

2 of 2

noun (2)

1

: a gate (as of a building) giving access to a body of water

2

: floodgate

Examples of Watergate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Guests may arrive directly by boat through the Gothic water gate, setting a perfectly dramatic tone for the stay. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026

There are pagodas and stupas, ancient wells, ceramic kilns, walls and water gates, and canals and lakes. — Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian, 21 Nov. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Watergate, apartment and office complex in Washington, D.C.; from the scandal following the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters there in 1972

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1973, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Watergate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate