Gate
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"[1], 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[2].
A gate may have a latch that can be raised and lowered to both open a gate or prevent it from swinging[3]. 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.
Types
Purpose-specific types of gate include:
- Baby gate a safety gate to protect babies and toddlers
- City gate of a walled city
- Hampshire gate (a.k.a. New Zealand gate, wire gate, etc.)
- Kissing gate on footpaths
- Lychgate with a roof
- Mon Japanese: gate. The religious torii compares to the Chinese pailou (paifang), Indian torana, and Korean hongsalmun. Mon are widespread, in Japanese gardens.
- Portcullis of a castle
- Slip gate on footpaths
- Turnstile
- Watergate of a castle by navigable water
Image gallery
See also
- Bab (gateway)
- Barrier
- Boom barrier (a.k.a. boom gate)
- Border
- Gate tower
- Gopuram
- Leave the gate as you found it
- Portal (architecture)
- Portcullis
- Threshold (disambiguation)
- Triumphal arch
- List of scandals with "-gate" suffix
- Watergate, as used in politics
References
- "gate | Origin and meaning of gate by Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2019-04-20.
- "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.
External links
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