Watergate

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A political scandal involving illegal activities and cover-up by government officials that led to the resignation of a U.S. president in 1974
2. A significant political controversy centered around the abuse of power by government figures, marked by covert actions and an eventual presidential resignation in the U.S
3. An infamous series of events characterized by misconduct and deceit among politicians, culminating in the downfall of a U.S. president in the 1970s

Etymology: The political sense of "Watergate" comes from a building, not a river. The Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., was a mixed-use development whose name, like the older English word it borrows, pointed to a gate beside the water. The Middle English "watergate" was simply a gate giving access to a body of water, formed from "water" and "gate," with the same plain components still visible in the modern name. In 1972, five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex. The investigation that followed led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.