


A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word is derived from Proto-Germanic *gatan, meaning an opening or passageway.1 Synonyms include yett (which comes from the same root word) and portal. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall or fence, rather than a barrier which closed it. Gates may prevent or control the entry or exit of individuals, or they may be merely decorative. 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.2
A gate might have a latch that can be raised and lowered to both open a gate or prevent it from swinging.3 Gate operation can be either automated or manual. Locks are also used on gates to increase security.
Larger gates can be used for a whole building, such as a castle or fortified town. Doors can also be considered gates when they are used to block entry as prevalent within a gatehouse.
Purpose-specific types of gate
- Baby gate: a safety gate to protect babies and toddlers
- Badger gate: gate to allow badgers to pass through rabbit-proof fencing
- City gate of a walled city
- Hampshire gate (a.k.a. New Zealand gate, wire gate, etc.)
- Kissing gate on a footpath
- Lychgate with a roof
- Mon Japanese: gate. The religious torii compares to the Chinese pailou (paifang), Indian torana, Indonesian Paduraksa and Korean hongsalmun. Mon are widespread in Japanese gardens.
- Portcullis of a castle
- Race gate used for checkpoints on race tracks
- Slip gate on footpaths
- Turnstile
- Watergate of a castle by navigable water
- Slalom skiing gates
- Wicket gate
Image gallery
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This gate and massive gateposts has no locks—a gate marks a borderline in ownership/use and can allow passage. -
A small, elegant gate to a meadow path
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Ishtar Gate is the oldest city gate in existence -
Wringin Lawang, a 14th-century Majapahit split gate, called "Candi bentar", in Trowulan, Java, Indonesia
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This gate at Columbia University was closed to prevent entry of protesters -

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A gate at Kansai University, built in 1923 -
Malaysian King's Palace Gate, Kuala Lumpur -
Medieval ironclad city gate, from the Upper Gate in the old town of Ohrid -
Chinese traditional type gate (iron gate in front of house) in Kerala, India -
Gates decorate routes in the entrance of Muscat, Oman -
Kuwait Gate, historically surrounded Kuwait City, built in 1929 -
Royal Military College of Canada front gates and gatehouse -
Ernst Rudolph, By the Entrance -
A wooden gate pictured in the coat of arms of Nivala -
Decorative emblems of state are also fixed on gates to public buildings, old Royal Melbourne Mint -
Gate of Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhavnagar, India -
Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University gate on the eve of Namvistar Din celebrations reflects Ajanata art -
Michael's Gate in Bratislava, Slovakia
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St. Louis Gateway Arch
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Warsaw University main gate, Poland -
Gate of Farm Gunsteling in Namibia (2017) -

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A Japanese temple gate (mon) at Eiheiji -

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A French-manner gate of the embassy of Thailand in Paris -

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The Iron Gates of Osgoode Hall, Toronto -
Beachside gate with a self-latching device and a higher than 54” release mechanism. -

See also
See also
References
References
- "gate | Origin and meaning of gate by Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- "GATE | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 2019-04-20.
- "Hardware 101: Gate Latches". Gardenista. 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2019-04-20.

