Dictionary

floodgate en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈflʌdˌɡeɪt/
• /ˈflʌdɡeɪt/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English flodegate, flodgate, flodeyate, floodȝate, flodȝete, equivalent to flood + gate.

Meanings

1. An adjustable gate or valve used to control the flow of water through a sluice.
   • At the start of the Second World War floodgates would be installed at the ends of the under-Thames sections of the Bakerloo and Northern lines to save them from inundation should bombs damage the riverbed. 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 31:
2. (figuratively, qualifier:extension) Anything that controls or limits an outpouring of people, emotion, etc.
   • “The floodgates for advertising on cable are down,” says Michael Dann, a leading consultant on cable television. 1981 July 26, Sandra Salmans, “Will cable TV be invaded by commercials?”, in New York Times:
3. (obsolete) A stream that passes through a floodgate; a torrent.
   • The accuſation conſiſting of thoſe three articles, was moſt true: your doctrine was ſcādalous, it offred much offence, being generally diſtaſted; and was erroneous, being detected to be the floodgate of Traitors ſtaiers, looſing in ſome ſuppoſititious doctrines, and many blaſphemous arrogating much to man, derogating much from God. 1610, Daniell Price, The Defence of Truth Against a booke falsely called The Triumph of Truth sent over from Arras A.D. 1609 by Humfrey Leech late Minister. […] , Oxford, Lib. 2 Cap. 3, page 237:
   • Out of her gored wound the cruell ſteel / He lightly ſnatcht, and did the floodgate ſtop / VVith his faire garment: then gan ſoftly feel her feeble pulſe, to proue if any drop / Of liuing blood yet in her veynes did hop 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 43, page 199:

Forms

Relateds

watergate · sluice gate · water gate

Translations (30)

it chiusa (gate or valve) · fi portti (anything that controls or limits an outpouring) · fi tulvaluukku (gate or valve) · de Tür und Tor (anything that controls or limits an outpouring) · cmn 防洪閘 /防洪闸 (gate or valve) · de Schleusentor (gate or valve) · it scolmatore (gate or valve) · de Schieber (gate or valve) · ga comhla uisce (gate or valve) · it chiusa (anything that controls or limits an outpouring) · fr vanne (gate or valve) · de Schleuse (gate or valve) · ar بوابة ايقاف الفيضان (gate or valve) · enm flodegate (gate or valve) · it scolmatoio (gate or valve) · bg барие́ра (anything that controls or limits an outpouring) · bg шлюз (gate or valve) · it canale di scarico (gate or valve) · ga bualchomhla (gate or valve) · pl śluza (gate or valve) · bg врата́ (anything that controls or limits an outpouring) · it paratoia (gate or valve) · pl śluza (anything that controls or limits an outpouring) · eo kluzo (gate or valve) · enm flodegate (anything that controls or limits an outpouring) · ga loc-chomhla (gate or valve) · hu zsilip (gate or valve) · bg шибър (gate or valve) · ga haiste (gate or valve) · ga comhla loic (gate or valve)