watergate
Speech parts
1. watergate - Noun
2. watergate - Verb
3. Watergate - Proper noun
Meaning
Watergate
An American political scandal (beginning with a burglary in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, in 1972) that eventually led to the resignation of US President Richard Nixon.
(transitive) To treat in a manner reminiscent of the Watergate scandal.
(intransitive, somewhat rare) To engage in activities associated with the Watergate scandal.
A gate opening onto water, or only or mainly accessible by water.
Alternative form of water gate.
watergate (third-person singular simple present watergates, present participle watergating, simple past and past participle watergated)
Alternative form of Watergate.
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Antonyms
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Examples
The political lesson of Watergate is this: Never again must America allow an arrogant, elite guard of political adolescents to by-pass the regular party organization and dictate the terms of a national election.
Even Napoleon had his Watergate.
The fact of the Watergate cover-up is not nearly as interesting as the step into making the cover-up. And when you understand the step, you understand that Richard Nixon lied. That he was a criminal.
After Nixon resigned in 1974, he engaged in a very aggressive war with history, attempting to wipe out the Watergate stain and memory. Happily, history won, largely because of Nixon's tapes.
Lawyers didn't seriously get involved in the Watergate stories until quite late, when we realized we were on to something.
I believe Watergate shows that the system did work. Particularly the Judiciary and the Congress, and ultimately an independent prosecutor working in the Executive Branch.