Noun floodgate has 2 senses
  1. floodgate - something that restrains a flood or outpouring; "suspension of surveillance opened the floodgates to illegal immigrants"
    --1 is a kind of
    restraint
  2. sluicegate, sluice valve, floodgate, penstock, head gate, water gate - regulator consisting of a valve or gate that controls the rate of water flow through a sluice
    --2 is a kind of regulator
    --2 is a part of sluice, sluiceway, penstock
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