floodgate
English
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floodgate¹
- /ˈflʌdˌɡeɪt/
- /ˈflʌdɡeɪt/
Where it comes from
From Middle English flodegate, flodgate, flodeyate, floodȝate, flodȝete, equivalent to flood + gate.
noun floodgates
- 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.
- 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.
- A stream that passes through a floodgate; a torrent. 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
Floodgate²
Where it comes from
From floodgate.
proper noun
- A series of allegations of corruption, mismanagement, and irregularities in flood control projects in the Philippines during and before the administration of President Bongbong Marcos.
Translations
Every language
noun gate or valve
| 中文 | 防洪閘 /防洪闸 fánghóngzhá |
|---|---|
| Français | vanne |
| Deutsch | Schieber, Schleusentor, Schleuse |
| Italiano | paratoia, chiusa, scolmatore, canale di scarico, scolmatoio |
| العربية | بوابة ايقاف الفيضان |
noun anything that controls or limits an outpouring
| Deutsch | Tür und Tor |
|---|---|
| Italiano | chiusa |
Talk about this word "floodgate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/floodgate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. floodgate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/floodgate "floodgate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/floodgate.Cite this
@misc{floodgate_2026,
title = {floodgate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/floodgate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
