gate

1 of 4

noun (1)

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
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

Examples of gate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The gang members managed to breach the port terminal in five or six different locations — including the main gate — and by Thursday afternoon the terminal still was not completely secured. Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 The rudder pedals began working again as the pilots taxied to the gate with 155 passengers and six crew members on the flight from Nassau, Bahamas, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board. David Koenig, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 The gate could also unlock while the truck is in park, causing unsecured cargo in the truck bed to fly out onto the road. USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 Buying the airline would quickly allow other carriers to become bigger at a time when airport gates and takeoff and landing slots are in short supply in many popular U.S. destinations. J. Edward Moreno, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 As people scrambled to flee, a bombing at the gates of the Kabul airport killed thirteen American troops and nearly two hundred Afghans. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 The automaker says that the electronic latch mechanism used to open the gate of some 2020-2024 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra truck beds might short circuit if water gets into the tailgate. Andrew Torgan, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 This year, why not enter through the green garden gate? Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024 On the other side of the gate is Nakamise-dori, a street with about 90 stalls, some hawking rice crackers or grilled mochi on a stick, others selling toothbrushes and hairbrushes. Helen Schulman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
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 Perhaps Pitchfork matters today because its arc parallels that of the internet itself, from nerdy and amateurish to grown-up, worldly, and inclusive, to now gated off in a Babel of AI-age confusion. Marc Hogan, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2024 Walled and gated, the impressive estate lies high in the foothills above downtown Montecito, at the very end of a quiet and secluded cul-de-sac. James McClain, Robb Report, 12 Jan. 2024 The other two, on Rocky Point Drive and Trestles Street, will be gated and accessible only to Fire Department vehicles. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Dec. 2023 History shows that even the strongest walls built to gate off empires, nations and cities—Hadrian’s Wall in Britain, the Great Wall of China and the Berlin Wall—eventually become ruins. Robert Thorson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023 The Obama administration closed the parks entirely during a 16-day shutdown in 2013, gating off the National Mall and closing the Statue of Liberty. Jack Healy, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of gate was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near gate

Cite this Entry

“Gate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on gate

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