Hell Gate
Preserved but no longer current.
A dangerous passage between Great Barn Island and Long Island. The Dutch settlers of New York called it Hoellgat (whirling-gut), corrupted into Hell Gate. Flood Rock, its most dangerous reef, has been blown up.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Hell Gate” mean?
A dangerous passage between Great Barn Island and Long Island. The Dutch settlers of New York called it Hoellgat (whirling-gut), corrupted into Hell Gate. Flood Rock, its most dangerous reef, has been blown up.
Is “Hell Gate” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.