Gate

Gate, gāt, n. a passage into a city, enclosure, or any large building: a narrow opening or defile: a frame in the entrance into any enclosure: an entrance.—v.t. to supply with a gate: at Oxford and Cambridge, to punish by requiring the offender to be within the college gates by a certain hour.—adj. Gā′ted, punished with such restriction.—ns. Gate′-fine, the fine imposed for disobedience to such orders; Gate′-house (archit.), a building over or near the gate giving entrance to a city, abbey, college, &c.; Gate′-keep′er, Gate′man, one who watches over the opening and shutting of a gate.—adj. Gate′less, not having a gate.—ns. Gate′-mon′ey, the money taken for entrance to an athletic or other exhibition, sometimes simply 'gate;' Gate′-tow′er, a tower built beside or over a gate; Gate′-vein, the great abdominal vein; Gate′way, the way through a gate: the gate itself: any entrance.—Gate of justice, a gate as of a city, temple, &c., where a sovereign or judge sat to dispense justice; Gates of death, a phrase expressing the near approach of death.—Break gates, at Oxford and Cambridge, to enter college after the prescribed hour; Ivory gate, in poetical imagery, the semi-transparent gate of the house of sleep, through which dreams appear distorted into pleasant and delusive shapes; Stand in the gate (B.), to occupy a position of defence. [A.S. geat, a way; Dut. gat, Ice. gat; not in Goth. and High Ger.; prob. related to get or gate.]