spat

1 of 5

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Musk’s political activism, including his public spats with California officials, has already presented an opportunity to companies like Rivian to pick off disgruntled progressive customers. Greg McKenna, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2024 They have been engaged in a public spat since 2017 over the late patriarch’s family home, and Lee Hsien Yang has accused Singapore’s government of persecuting him, his wife and his son. Sylvia Hui and Eileen Ng, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
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 Israeli media reported that coalition lawmaker Simcha Rothman had joined a Sukkot march during which ultra-Orthodox Jews spat at churches. Julia Frankel The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for spat 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of spat was in 1667

Dictionary Entries Near spat

Cite this Entry

“Spat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spat. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

spat

1 of 5

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

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