What did the name "Watergate" refer to?

A White House political scandal that came to light during the 1972 presidential

campaign

The term "Watergate" referred to the Watergate Scandal the Nixon administration carried out.

Watergate was a major political scandal that occurred in the U. S. in the 1970's following a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington D. C. in 1972 and president Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement.