gate
A door-like part of a fence or wall that you can open or close to go through.
A movable barrier, usually part of a fence or wall, that can be opened or closed to allow or block passage.
A place in an airport where you get on or off a plane.
A designated area in an airport terminal where passengers board or leave an aircraft.
A part in electronics that lets signals pass or stops them.
An electronic device or circuit that controls the passage of signals based on certain conditions.
'Gait' means how someone walks. It sounds like 'gate' but is spelled differently.
This is not actually 'gate' but 'gait', meaning a manner of walking; included here due to frequent learner confusion.
- Base: gate
- Plural: gates
at the gates
1Directly outside entrance barrier
Right outside a door, fence, or wall that blocks entry.
- The protesters are at the gates demanding change.
- Our friends were waiting at the gates when we arrived.
gate crash
1Attend event without invitation
To go to a party or event without being asked or allowed to go.
- They tried to gate crash the wedding but were stopped by security.
- He loves to gate crash parties for fun.
golden gates
1Symbolic entrance to heaven
A way of talking about heaven’s entrance in stories or religion.
- He dreamed of walking through the golden gates into paradise.
- The song speaks of meeting again beyond the golden gates.
open the floodgates
1Allow something uncontrolled to happen
To let something happen more and more after stopping it before.
- The new policy opened the floodgates to complaints from customers.
- The new law opened the floodgates for foreign investment.
- Once she started talking, it opened the floodgates and she told us everything.
- His confession opened the floodgates for more complaints.