toll-gate

A car stops at the toll-gate to pay the fee.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A barrier or gate where a toll is collected: A "toll-gate" is a physical gate or barrier placed across a road or bridge, where travelers must stop to pay a fee (a toll) for passage. It is typically found on turnpikes, highways, or at the entrance to bridges and tunnels.

Usage Examples

• (A barrier where a toll is collected.)
• (The physical gate structure itself.)

Advanced Usage

• "to pass through a toll-gate": to go through the barrier after paying the toll.

  • Drivers must slow down and pass through the toll-gate carefully. (To navigate the payment point.)

• "toll-gate operator": a person who collects the toll at the gate.

  • The toll-gate operator handed me a receipt after I paid. (The worker at the barrier.)

Variants and Related Words

• Toll (n): a fee or tax paid for the use of a road, bridge, or tunnel.

  • The toll for crossing the bridge is five dollars. (The payment required.)

• Tollbooth (n): a small booth or kiosk at a toll-gate where the toll is collected.

  • The tollbooth was automated with a coin machine. (A structure at the gate.)

• Gate (n): a movable barrier used to close an opening in a wall, fence, or road.

  • The gate was locked to prevent entry. (A general barrier.)

Synonyms

• Tollbooth: a booth where tolls are paid, often used interchangeably with toll-gate in modern contexts.
• Turnpike gate: a gate on a toll road (turnpike), historically referring to a pike or barrier.

Related Idioms

• "at the toll-gate of life": a metaphorical phrase referring to a moment of reckoning or payment for one's actions.
  • He felt he had arrived at the toll-gate of life, where his past deeds demanded payment. (A figurative point of accountability.)

Additional Notes

• The term "toll-gate" is often hyphenated or written as two words ("toll gate"). In modern usage, electronic toll collection systems (e.g., E-ZPass) have replaced many physical toll-gates, but the word still refers to the point of payment.