Origin: Latin suffix -ate
Watergate has 3 different meanings across 2 categories:
a political scandal involving abuse of power and bribery and obstruction of justice; led to the resignation of Richard Nixon in 1974
A gate opening onto water, or only or mainly accessible by water.
A US 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.