: a cloth or leather gaiter covering the instep and ankle
1
chiefly dialectal
: slap entry 2
2
: a brief petty quarrel or angry outburst
a lovers' spat
3
: a sound like that of rain falling in large drops
spatted; spatting
chiefly dialectal
: slap
1
: to quarrel pettily or briefly
2
: to strike with a sound like that of rain falling in large drops
Synonyms
Noun (3)
- altercation
- argle-bargle [chiefly British]
- argument
- argy-bargy [chiefly British]
- battle royal
- bicker
- brawl
- contretemps
- controversy
- cross fire
- disagreement
- dispute
- donnybrook
- falling-out
- fight
- hassle
- imbroglio
- kickup
- misunderstanding
- quarrel
- rhubarb
- row
- scrap
- set-to
- squabble
- tiff
- wrangle
Verb
Examples of spat in a Sentence
Noun (3)
like any couple, they have their spats
Verb
They were typical sisters, spatting one minute, playing together the next.
we tend to spat over money more than anything else
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2024
The agency recorded 168 assaults last year, including stabbings and being spat on.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for spat 
Noun
Include some contractual protections about resolving the legal spats with the Department of Education.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2024
The agency recorded 168 assaults last year, including stabbings and being spat on.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for spat
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near spat
Cite this Entry
“Spat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spat. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spat
2 of 5 noun
plural spat or spats
: a young oyster
spat
3 of 5 noun
: a cloth or leather covering for the instep and ankle
spat
4 of 5 noun1
: a brief unimportant quarrel : dispute
2
: a sound like that of rain falling in large drops
spat
5 of 5 verb
spatted; spatting
1
: to have a spat : quarrel
2
: to strike with a sound like that of rain falling in large drops
Etymology
Noun
origin unknown
Noun
a shortened form of spatterdash "a protective covering for the ankle or leg"
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