# gate

/ˈɡeɪt/ (US) · /ɡˈeɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gate
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. barrier in a fence

noun · CEFR A2

a door in a fence or an outside wall.

For teachers: a hinged or sliding barrier used to close an opening in a wall, fence, or hedge.

- Please make sure you close the garden gate so the dog doesn't get out.
- The heavy iron gate creaked on its hinges as the gardener pushed it open to allow the delivery truck into the courtyard.

### 2. airport boarding area

noun · CEFR A2

the place at an airport where you wait to get on your plane.

For teachers: the specific area in an airport terminal where passengers assemble to board a particular aircraft.

- Our flight is leaving from gate 42, which is at the end of this hallway.
- Passengers were advised to proceed immediately to the gate, as the ground crew had already commenced the final boarding process for the international flight.

### 3. electronics/computing

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a tiny switch in a computer that controls the flow of information.

For teachers: an electronic circuit or component that acts as a logic element, producing an output based on specific input conditions.

- A computer processor contains millions of tiny gates that process data.
- The engineer explained how the NAND gate serves as a universal building block for more complex digital architectures.

### 4. ticket sales

noun · CEFR B2

the total amount of money made from selling tickets at a sports event or concert.

For teachers: the total number of people attending a public event or the total amount of money received from ticket sales.

- The local football club needs a big gate this weekend to pay its bills.
- Despite the poor weather, the match attracted a record gate, significantly boosting the club's revenue for the quarter.

### 6. to restrict access

verb · CEFR B2

to control or limit who can see or use something.

For teachers: to selectively regulate, restrict, or control access to a resource or information.

- The company decided to gate their best articles so only members could read them.
- The marketing team chose to gate the white paper behind a sign-up form to capture lead information from interested professionals.

## Examples

- Please remember to close the garden gate so the dog stays inside.
- The farmer opened the heavy iron gate to let the sheep move into the next field for grazing.
- Security personnel remained stationed at the main gate throughout the night to monitor every vehicle entering the industrial complex.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.