gate
gate — noun
1. a movable panel that blocks a gap in an outdoor barrier, such as a garden wall o
a movable panel that blocks a gap in an outdoor barrier, such as a garden wall or boundary fence, and can be opened to create a passage.
Kevin closed the garden gate after the dog ran out into the street.
collocation: close/open a gate
The old iron gate at the entrance to the park had a heavy latch.
pattern: the gate at/to [place]
Mr. Chen painted the wooden gate that separates his farm yard from the main road.
The delivery driver rang the bell at the front gate and waited for someone to open it.
Eve pushed open the gate and walked into the field.
文法句型
a/the + gate
gate + preposition (to/in/at/of)
用法筆記
A gate is part of a larger barrier (fence, wall, hedge) and swings or slides to create a passage. It is distinct from a door, which is part of a building and hinges to the building's frame.
常見錯誤
2. the area in an airport terminal where passengers wait and then walk through a do
the area in an airport terminal where passengers wait and then walk through a doorway to board their aeroplane, or where they arrive after leaving a plane.
The passengers waited at gate 12 for their flight to Taipei.
pattern: at gate + number
An announcement said that boarding at gate 7 would begin in ten minutes.
Lara rushed to gate 23 just before the doors closed for departure.
Passengers travelling to Tokyo should go to gate 15 for boarding.
- boarding gate
more formal and specific term, used in official airport announcements
- departure gate
emphasises that passengers leave from here
文法句型
gate + number
at gate + number
gate + for [flight/destination]
用法筆記
Airport gates are usually identified by a number (gate 5, gate 22). The gate number is shown on the boarding pass and on screens in the terminal.
常見錯誤
3. a type of barrier that moves sideways on a track or folds into sections when ope
a type of barrier that moves sideways on a track or folds into sections when opened, commonly used where a swinging door would take up too much space.
The sliding gate at the car park opened automatically when a car approached the sensor.
pattern: sliding gate + at [place]
A folding metal gate was pulled across the shop entrance every evening after closing.
collocation: folding gate
The warehouse uses a heavy steel gate that slides along a track.
A sliding gate at the railway crossing lowered to stop traffic when a train approached.
- barrier
general term; less specific about the sliding or folding mechanism
文法句型
sliding/folding + gate
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1 (DOOR IN FENCE OR WALL): sense 1 gates swing on hinges; sense 3 gates slide or fold. Sense 3 is more common for commercial or industrial settings where space is limited.
4. how many people come to a sports match, show, or festival, or the total sum rais
how many people come to a sports match, show, or festival, or the total sum raised from ticket sales.
Sixty thousand fans came to the stadium, making it the biggest gate of the year.
pattern: the biggest/largest gate
The organisers were pleased with the gate of forty-five thousand for the three-day music festival.
A gate of only twelve thousand people meant the small club lost money that night.
The boxing match set a new gate record for the city this summer.
- attendance
refers specifically to the number of people, not the money
- takings
more general word for money received, not limited to events
- receipts
formal term for money taken, often used in financial or business contexts
文法句型
a gate of + number
the gate + was/reached
用法筆記
Most often used in sports reporting. The context usually makes clear whether the word refers to people (attendance) or money (revenue). For example, 'a gate of £50,000' is clearly about money, while 'a gate of 20,000' is about people.
5. a basic electronic circuit used in computers and digital devices that takes one
a basic electronic circuit used in computers and digital devices that takes one or more input signals and produces a single output signal according to a fixed logical rule, such as AND, OR, or NOT.
In the alarm system, an AND gate checks both the door sensor and the motion detector before triggering the alarm.
pattern: AND/OR/NOT gate
An Intel processor chip contains millions of logic gates that process binary data inside a laptop.
collocation: logic gate
Inside the calculator chip, each logic gate checks whether certain conditions are true before sending a result to the display.
A digital thermometer processor uses AND and OR gates to convert the temperature into a readable number.
- logic gate
more precise term; all electronic gates are logic gates that perform Boolean operations
- circuit
a broader term that may contain many gates working together
文法句型
logic gate
AND/OR/NOT gate
用法筆記
Commonly used with a prefix naming the logical rule: AND gate, OR gate, NOT gate, NAND gate, NOR gate. The term appears in computing textbooks and hardware descriptions.
gate — noun
1. a word part added to a noun to name a public scandal, usually one that involves
a word part added to a noun to name a public scandal, usually one that involves dishonest, secret, or illegal behaviour by people in positions of power.
The story became known as Travelgate after reporters uncovered the misuse of public money.
pattern: [X]gate = scandal involving X
A scandal called Datagate destroyed the company's reputation last year.
The media used the name Bridgegate because the affair involved the closure of a bridge.
Labour Party politicians at the centre of the Fundinggate scandal faced demands to resign from parliament.
- scandal
the general term; -gate is a stylistic suffix used only in media contexts
文法句型
[noun] + gate
用法筆記
Derived from the Watergate scandal (1972). Since then, -gate has been added to many nouns in journalism to name scandals. It is an informal, media-driven formation and is rarely found in formal writing.
常見錯誤
gate — verb
1. to punish a student at a boarding school by not allowing them to leave the schoo
to punish a student at a boarding school by not allowing them to leave the school grounds or their dormitory for a set period of time.
The headmaster gated three students for the weekend after the noisy dormitory party.
pattern: gate + someone + for + period
Kevin was gated for a month after leaving the school grounds without permission.
passive: be gated
Harrow School gated two students for a week after catching them sneaking out of the dormitory past midnight.
Eri was worried about being gated for the whole holiday break after the incident.
- confine
more general term; not specific to school punishments
文法句型
be gated + for [period]
gate + someone + for [period]
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in British boarding school contexts. Usually appears in the passive voice (was gated, were gated). Very rare in American English.
2. to provide a fence, wall, or other opening with a gate, or to close off an area
to provide a fence, wall, or other opening with a gate, or to close off an area by installing a gate.
The council decided to gate the park entrance to keep vehicles out at night.
pattern: gate + [location]
The farmer gated the new fence to allow access to the field for the tractor.
The narrow path was gated to stop walkers from entering the private garden.
The landowner gated the driveway after too many cars parked there without permission.
- block
more general; does not specify using a gate specifically
文法句型
gate + [location]
be gated
用法筆記
Much less common than the noun form of gate. In everyday speech, people are more likely to say 'put a gate in' or 'install a gate' rather than use the verb gate.
3. to regulate the passage of something such as water, electrical current, or data
to regulate the passage of something such as water, electrical current, or data using a device that opens and closes like a gate to start or stop the flow.
A valve gates the flow of water through the pipe when pressure rises.
pattern: gate + the flow of [substance]
A temperature sensor gates the electrical current to prevent the motor from overheating.
The office router gates data traffic between the Taipei and Tokyo servers during the afternoon peak hours to prevent congestion.
The temperature-control chip gates the power signal based on the voltage it receives from the heat sensor in the boiler.
文法句型
gate + [flow/current/data]
用法筆記
Most commonly used in technical writing about engineering or computing. In everyday English, 'control' or 'regulate' are more common alternatives.