Plural of gate - movable barriers used to close openings in walls, fences, or other enclosures. Can also refer to entrance or exit points.
From Old English 'geat' meaning 'opening, gate, door', related to Old Norse 'gat' (opening). The word has maintained its basic meaning of a controlled passage or entrance throughout its history.
Gates have been crucial to human civilization as symbols of control, security, and transition. The phrase 'pearly gates' shows how gates became metaphorical boundaries between different realms, while 'gated community' reflects modern social stratification.
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