Ramsgate

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A seaside town on the north coast of the Isle of Thanet in the English county of Kent, known for its harbour and history
2. A coastal resort town in Kent, England, situated on the Isle of Thanet and once a busy port for Channel trade
3. An English seaside town in Kent on the Isle of Thanet, noted for its historic harbour and maritime heritage

Etymology: Ramsgate is a seaside town on the Isle of Thanet in Kent, and its name is an ordinary English compound: "ram" plus "gate." The first element is generally taken to be the Old English "hrām," meaning "raven," though some scholars have suggested an alternative sense, and the second is "gāt," meaning "gap, channel, or passage," here referring to the sea channel that opens between the town and the coast. The name is thus a description of the landscape, a gateway or inlet by the water, rather than a personal name or a later invention. The name is recorded early. Its Old English form appears in medieval documents as "Ramesgate," and the place is mentioned in Anglo-Saxon sources. Over the centuries the spelling settled into the modern form, though the pronunciation has changed little in the sense that "gate" has always been the more prominent element.