floodgate

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈflʌdˌɡeɪt/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈflʌdˌgeɪt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(flud′gāt′)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
flood•gate /ˈflʌdˌgeɪt/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. Civil Engineeringa gate regulating the flow of water.
  2. anything serving to control the passage of something:opened (or closed) the floodgates to immigration.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
flood•gate  (flud′gāt′),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Civil Engineeringa gate designed to regulate the flow of water.
  2. anything serving to control the indiscriminate flow or passage of something.
  • 1175–1225; Middle English; see flood, gate

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
floodgate / ˈflʌdˌɡeɪt/
  1. Also called: head gate, water gate a gate in a sluice that is used to control the flow of water
    See also sluicegate
  2. (often plural) a control or barrier against an outpouring or flow
'floodgate' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
cataract - head gate - sluicegate - water gate

Forum discussions with the word(s) "floodgate" in the title:


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