spat

1 of 5

ˈspat 

past tense and past participle of spit

spat

2 of 5

noun (1)

plural spat or spats

: a young bivalve (such as an oyster)

spat

3 of 5

noun (2)

: a cloth or leather gaiter covering the instep and ankle

spat

4 of 5

noun (3)

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

spat

5 of 5

verb

spatted; spatting

transitive verb

chiefly dialectal : slap

intransitive verb

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

• altercate
• argue
• argufy
• bicker
• brabble
• brawl
• controvert
• dispute
• fall out
• fight
• hassle
• jar
• quarrel
• quibble
• row
• scrap
• squabble
• tiff
• wrangle

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

Noun

The spat came as Newsom announced yet another surge of California Highway Patrol officers to Oakland and the East Bay, following several similar boosts in staffing across the region since the beginning of the year. —Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 11 July 2024

The sticker has a cartoon crawfish named Mark de Ballot walking in a blue tuxedo jacket with a black top hat and spats. —Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 9 July 2024

California lawmakers agreed to loan Pacific Gas & Electric Co. an additional $400 million to extend the life of Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, ceding to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push for the loan after initially refusing to pay in a public budget spat. —Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 25 June 2024

This revelation spawns a nasty spat between the pair. —Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 23 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

short for spatterdash legging

Noun (3)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1667, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1802, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1729, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1832, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

spat

1 of 5

ˈspat 

past and past participle of spit

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 noun

1

: 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"

Medical Definition

spat

past and past part of spit