1. something that restrains a flood or outpouring - suspension of surveillance opened the floodgates to illegal immigrants • Hypernyms: restraint 2. regulator consisting of a valve or gate that controls the rate of water flow through a sluice • Syn: sluicegate, sluice valve, penstock, head gate, water gate • Hypernyms: regulator • Part Holonyms: sluice, sluiceway, penstock
