Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

proxy gateway
     
         A computer and associated software which will
        pass on a request for a {URL} from a {World-Wide Web}
        {browser} such as {Mosaic} to an outside server and return the
        results.  This provides clients that are sealed off from the
        {Internet} a trusted agent that can access the Internet on
        their behalf.  Once the client is properly configured, its
        user should not be aware of the proxy gateway.
     
        A proxy gateway often runs on a {firewall machine}.  Its main
        purpose is to act as a barrier to the threat of {crackers}.
        It may also be used to hide the {IP addresses} of the
        computers inside the firewall from the {Internet} if they do
        not use official registered {network numbers}.
     
        Browsers such as {Mosaic} and {Netscape} can be configured to
        use a different proxy or no proxy for each URL {access method}
        (or "{scheme}") - {FTP}, {Gopher}, {WAIS}, {news}, and {HTTP}.
     
        {Mosaic and proxy gateways
       
     (http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/Software/Mosaic/Docs/proxy-gateways.html)}.
     
        Compare {proxy server}.
     
        (1997-06-08)