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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Gate Meaning: Entrance, Race Start & Usage (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：entrance opening (gate)

gate 🔊

/ɡeɪt/

An opening in a wall or fence that can be opened and closed to let people or things through.

White wooden garden gate slightly ajar in sunny garden

entrance opening 🔊

➕

/ˈɛntrəns ˈoʊpənɪŋ/

A movable barrier, often made of wood or metal, placed at the entrance of a property, garden, or field to allow or block passage.

📁 Category：Buildings & Places 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'geat' meaning opening; related to Dutch 'gat' (hole) and German 'Gasse' (lane).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a 'gate' with a 'g' for 'go through' and 'ate' as in 'eat' - you pass through to get food.

📖 Example

Every morning, I open the wooden gate to let my dog run in the garden. 🔊 Every morning, I open the wooden gate to let my dog run in the garden.

🔗 Collocations

garden gate – a gate that provides access to a garden

gate lock – a locking mechanism on a gate

gate access – the permission or ability to enter through a gate

🔄 Synonyms

door (n.) – a hinged or sliding barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle

portal (n.) – a large, impressive entrance or doorway

entryway (n.) – a passage or opening used for entering a place

🚫 Antonyms

wall (n.) – a solid structure that encloses an area and prevents passage

fence (n.) – a barrier enclosing an area, but not an opening

🌱 Derivatives

gateway (n.) – an entrance that can be closed by a gate

gatekeeper (n.) – a person who guards or controls a gate

gatepost (n.) – a post on which a gate is hung or against which it closes

📖 Cultural Story

Originating from Proto-Germanic *gatą 'hole, opening'. In modern English, 'gate' gained a suffix usage denoting scandals after the Watergate incident (1972).

Meaning 2：starting barrier (gate)

gate 🔊

/ɡeɪt/

A structure or line that marks the beginning of a race, especially in athletics or horse racing.

Athletics starting gate with runners ready to sprint

starting barrier 🔊

➕

/ˈstɑːrtɪŋ ˈbæriər/

A mechanical or structural device that holds competitors (runners, horses, cars) at the start of a race and is quickly raised or opened to signal the start.

📁 Category：Entertainment & Sports 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The runners waited nervously at the starting gate for the signal to begin the marathon. 🔊 The runners waited nervously at the starting gate for the signal to begin the marathon.

🔗 Collocations

starting gate – a gate used to start a race

gate release – the mechanism that opens the gate at the start

race gate – a gate used in racing events

🔄 Synonyms

starting line (n.) – the line that marks the beginning of a race

barrier (n.) – a fence or obstacle that prevents movement

hurdle (n.) – an obstacle to be jumped over in a race, but also a barrier

🚫 Antonyms

finish line (n.) – the line indicating the end of a race

🌱 Derivatives

gate crash (v.) – to enter an event without permission or a ticket; related to 'gate' as entrance