Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge

15 1.0
A large bright red suspension bridge in San Francisco that crosses the entrance to the bay
  • proper noun
translation icon : Puente Golden Gate
  • The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic symbol of San Francisco, attracting millions of visitors each year.
  • model of the Golden Gate Bridge

And out on the porch there where you're looking at everything from Mount Tam to Sausalito, Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, downtown San Francisco.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • At the time, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest and tallest suspension bridge ever attempted, and its design was only possible due to these innovations.

  • The Golden Gate Bridge is 1.7 miles long.

    The Bridge (2006)

  • On weekends, I drive across the Golden Gate Bridge and go out to dinner with friends.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • In 1937, monument employees, along with the rest of the Bay Area, celebrated the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Now, if you don't know this landmark, this is the Golden Gate Bridge, and it's located in San Francisco.

  • Now 75 years old, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is arguably the most recognizable bridge in the world.

    Blog text (17)

  • Thousands of tourists have crowded onto and around San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge to celebrate the iconic structure's 75th birthday.

    Blog text (17)

  • As I stood on the observation deck, the breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge took my breath away.

  • Driving over the Golden Gate Bridge offers stunning views of the San Francisco Bay and the city skyline.

Surface Forms

Golden Gate Bridge main

Morphology

Golden + Gate + bridge

The constituent 'bridge' makes the core meaning (a bridge) immediately recognizable, but 'Golden Gate' is a fixed toponym/proper name whose historical/geographic reference (the San Francisco strait and the iconic suspension bridge) is not derivable from the words 'golden' + 'gate'. Learners will grasp that it refers to a specific bridge but will not be able to infer the full, location-specific meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

Golden Gate Bridge comes from the narrow waterway it crosses, called the Golden Gate. Early settlers and gold seekers thought that entrance looked like a 'gateway' to riches, so the red bridge kept that name and now means the famous bridge over the bay.