watergate

W4A1T1E1R1G2A1T1E1
US/ˈwɑtəɹˌɡeɪt/

noun

A gate opening onto water, or only or mainly accessible by water.

OriginMiddle English watergate →
Less commonScrabble 13
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Meanings

watergate1

nounwatergate (plural watergates)

plural watergates

  1. A gate opening onto water, or only or mainly accessible by water.
  2. alternativeAlternative form of water gate.
verbwatergate (third-person singular simple present watergates, present participle watergating, simple past and past participle watergated)

present singular third person watergates · participle present watergating · participle past watergated · past watergated

  1. alternativeAlternative form of Watergate.

Watergate2

proper noun
  1. An American political scandal (beginning with a burglary in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, in 1972) that eventually led to the resignation of US President Richard Nixon.
verbWatergate (third-person singular simple present Watergates, present participle Watergating, simple past and past participle Watergated)

present singular third person Watergates · participle present Watergating · participle past Watergated · past Watergated · alternative watergate

  1. transitiveTo treat in a manner reminiscent of the Watergate scandal.
  2. intransitiverareTo engage in activities associated with the Watergate scandal.

Origin

watergate · noun, verb

  1. Middle Englishwatergate
  2. Englishwatergate

From Middle English watergate, wateregate, watur-ȝate, equivalent to water + gate.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Watergate · proper noun, verb

  1. Proto-Indo-European*wed-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*wódr̥
  3. Proto-Germanic*watōr
  4. Proto-West Germanic*watar
  5. Old Englishwæter
  6. Middle Englishwater
  7. Englishwater
  8. Proto-Indo-European*gʰe(n)d-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*gʰed-eti
  10. Proto-Germanic*getaną
  11. Proto-Germanic*gatą
  12. Proto-West Germanic*gat
  13. Old Englishġeat
  14. Middle Englishgate
  15. Englishgate
  16. Proto-Indo-European*gʰóstis
  17. Proto-Indo-European*pótis
  18. Proto-Indo-European*gʰóstipotis
  19. Proto-Italic*hostipotis
  20. Latinhospes
  21. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  22. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  23. Latinhospitālis
  24. Old Frenchostel
  25. Middle Frenchhostel
  26. Frenchhôte
  27. Englishhotel
  28. EnglishWatergate Hotel
  29. EnglishWatergate

From the name of the Watergate Hotel; the complex itself was named after the "Water Gate" area where symphony orchestra concerts were staged on the Potomac River between 1935 and 1965.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic ووتر غيت
  • ووتر غيت (wuatar ghit)scandal
Chinese Mandarin 水門事件 /水门事件
  • 水門事件 /水门事件 (Shuǐmén shìjiàn)scandal
Finnish Watergate, Watergate-skandaali
  • Watergatescandal
  • Watergate-skandaaliscandal
French Watergate
  • Watergatescandal
German Watergate, Watergate-Affäre
  • Watergatescandal
  • Watergate-Affärescandal
  • Watergate-Skandalscandal
Hindi वॉटरगेट
  • वॉटरगेट (vŏṭargeṭ)scandal
Indonesian Watergate
  • Watergatescandal
Japanese ウォーターゲート事件, ウォーターゲート
  • ウォーターゲート事件 (Wōtāgēto jiken)scandal
  • ウォーターゲート (Wōtāgēto)scandal
Korean 워터게이트 사건
  • 워터게이트 사건 (woteogeiteu sageon)scandal
Malay Watergate
  • Watergatescandal
Polish Watergate
  • Watergatescandal
Portuguese Watergate
  • Watergatescandal
Russian Уотерге́йтский сканда́л, Уотерге́йт
  • Уотерге́йтский сканда́л (Uotɛrgéjtskij skandál)scandal
  • Уотерге́йт (Uotɛrgéjt)scandal
  • Уо́тергейт (Uótɛrgejt)scandal

Rhymes & wordplay

Sounds the same

WottergateWottergate
Cite this entry
APA

watergate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watergate

MLA

“watergate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watergate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “watergate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watergate.

Source: watergate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.