mechanism to control the opening and closing of a connecting device (see carabiner and snap).

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
gate (noun)
1.
an opening in a wall or fence
2.
a city or castle entrance often with defensive structures (as towers)
3.
a) the frame or door that closes a gate
b) a movable barrier (as at a grade crossing)
4.
a) a means of entrance or exit
b) - starting gate
c) an area (as at a railroad station or an airport) for departure or arrival
d) a space between two markers through which a competitor must pass in the course of a slalom race
5.
a) a door, valve, or other device for controlling the passage especially of a fluid
b) (1) an electronic switch that allows or prevents the flow of current in a circuit
(2) an electrode in a field-effect transistor that modulates the current flowing through the transistor according to the voltage applied to the electrode - compare drain source
c) a device (as in a computer) that outputs a signal when specified input conditions are met - logic gate
d) a molecule or part of a molecule that acts (as by a change in conformation) in response to a stimulus to permit or block passage (as of ions) through a cell membrane
6.
slang - dismissal gave him the gate
7.
the total admission receipts or the number of spectators (as at a sports event)
gate (verb)
transitive verb
1.
British to confine to a campus or dormitory
2.
to supply with a gate
3.
to control with a gate
gate (noun)
1.
archaic - way path
2.
dialect - method style
Related Articles:
gate (Wikipedia)
This article is about the point of entry or exit. For other uses, see Gate (disambiguation) and Gateway (disambiguation).
Gate from Bucharest (Romania)
Art Nouveau gate of Castel Béranger (Paris)

A gate or gateway is a point of entry to a space which is enclosed by walls. Gates may prevent or control the entry or exit of individuals, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port. The word is derived from old Norse "gat", meaning road or path, and originally referred to the gap in the wall or fence, rather than the barrier which closed it. The moving part or parts of a gateway may be considered "doors", as they are fixed at one side whilst opening and closing like one.

A gate may have a latch that can be raised and lowered to both open a gate or prevent it from swinging. Locks are also used on gates to increase the security. Larger gates can be used for a whole building, such as a castle or fortified town. Actual doors can also be considered gates when they are used to block entry as prevalent within a gatehouse. Today, many gate doors are opened by an automated gate operator.

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