water gate
- noun
- Specialized
:
puerta de agua
- The engineer adjusted the water gate to increase the flow of water into the canal.
Examples
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Routine inspections ensure that each water gate functions efficiently in the dam system.
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During heavy rains, the water gate must be opened carefully to prevent flooding.
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The water gate was closed to prevent flooding.
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Can you check the water gate for leaks?
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The engineer installed a new water gate to manage the flow of the river into the reservoir.
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Farmers used a water gate to control irrigation in their fields during the dry season.
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The city built a water gate at the canal to prevent flooding during heavy rains.
Synonyms
5
4.0
A metal door that controls water flowing through a dam or channel
3
8.8
A gate at the lower end of a lock that lets water out
1
6.5
A gate that opens to let water flow and closes to stop it in a river or canal
A gate that controls water flow in a canal
A gate that controls water flowing into a canal or field
A gate that opens and closes to let boats pass and control water in a canal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a gate that controls water flow' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'water' (the liquid) with 'gate' (a barrier/valve), following a transparent noun-noun compounding pattern. A B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer this function (the concept is common cross-linguistically), though note that the capitalized form 'Watergate' is an unrelated proper noun in English.
Etymology
Water gate comes from a simple, literal image: a gate that holds back or lets through water in a canal or dam. That's why it means 'a barrier or valve used to control the flow of water'.