noun
- Something that restrains a flood or outpouring.
- usage: "suspension of surveillance opened the floodgates to illegal immigrants"
- Regulator consisting of a valve or gate that controls the rate of water flow through a sluice.
- synonyms: sluicegate, sluice valve, penstock, head gate, water gate
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). floodgate. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/floodgate/definitions/1215675 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "floodgate" http://smartdefine.org/floodgate/definitions/1215675 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, floodgate, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/floodgate/definitions/1215675>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "floodgate" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/floodgate/definitions/1215675> |