: 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
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
Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2025
The season was marked by numerous on-air spats between the two stars.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Jonathan Zimmerman, Foreign Affairs, 19 May 2016
The flare comes after nearly a week of flares and coronal plasma ejections spat toward the planet that threatened disruptions to power and communications systems on Earth.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 15 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for spat
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Noun
Following one shipboard spat, Whittle agreed to a duel with his challenger upon touching land, though the pair never followed through.
—Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2025
The season was marked by numerous on-air spats between the two stars.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Verb
The first is that when U.S. soldiers returned from the war there, protesters spat upon them in disdain.
—Jonathan Zimmerman, Foreign Affairs, 19 May 2016
The flare comes after nearly a week of flares and coronal plasma ejections spat toward the planet that threatened disruptions to power and communications systems on Earth.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 15 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for spat
Cite this Entry
“Spat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spat. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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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