spat
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spat¹
- /spæt/
Rhymes with -æt
Where it comes from
From Old English spittan, spætan.
verb
- simple past and past participle of spit There was no sink in the room so we spat out the window.
spat²
- /spæt/
Rhymes with -æt
Where it comes from
Uncertain; perhaps related to spit.
noun spats
- The spawn of shellfish, especially oysters and similar molluscs. As spat-fall often occurs in areas away from environments suitable for oyster growing, the collection, transport and sale of oyster spat has developed into a separate industry.
- A juvenile shellfish which has attached to a hard surface. Conditions in pearl oyster hatcheries are optimized for growth and survival of spat.
verb spats · spatting · spatted
- To spawn, used of shellfish as above.
spat³
- /spæt/
Rhymes with -æt
Where it comes from
Shortening of spatterdash, from spatter + dash. 1779.
noun spats
- A covering or decorative covering worn over a shoe.
-
A piece of bodywork that covers the upper portions of the rear tyres of a car.
Similar: fender skirt
- A drag-reducing aerodynamic fairing covering the upper portions of the tyres of an aeroplane equipped with non-retractable landing gear.
spat⁴
- /spæt/
Rhymes with -æt
Where it comes from
1804. American English, probably imitative.
noun spats
-
A brief argument, falling out, quarrel.
get into a trivial spat over punctuality
Similar: tiff
spat⁵
- /spæt/
Rhymes with -æt
Where it comes from
Attested from 1823.
noun spats
- A light blow with something flat.
verb spats · spatting · spatted
- To strike with a spattering sound. He felt the wind of a second bullet that spatted against a boulder near Barney.
- To slap, as with the open hand; to clap together, as the hands. Little Isabel leaped up and down, spatting her hands.
spat⁶
- /spæt/
Rhymes with -æt
Where it comes from
From Latin spatium (“space”).
noun spats
- An obsolete unit of distance in astronomy (symbol S), equal to one billion kilometres.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: gaiter, clap, fuss, tiff, bickering, squabble, bicker, acclaim, applaud, seed, psat, melee, scuffle, brawl, quarrel, wrangling
Translations
Every language
noun covering worn over a shoe
| Español | polaina |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | スパッツ supattsu |
| Português | polaina |
| Français | guêtre |
| Deutsch | Gamasche, Überschuh |
| Italiano | uose |
| Русский | ге́тра gétra, гама́ша gamáša, штибле́та štibléta |
noun automotive: piece of bodywork
| Español | guardabarros carenado |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Kotflügel |
noun quarrel
| Español | altercado, rifirrafe |
|---|---|
| Português | briga |
| Deutsch | Wortwechsel, Zank, Streit, Auseinandersetzung |
| Italiano | disputa, dissidio |
| Русский | спор spor, размо́лвка razmólvka, ссо́ра ssóra, перебра́нка perebránka |
verb to quarrel
| Español | altercar, malentender |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | zanken, streiten, sich fetzen |
| Русский | брани́ться branítʹsja, руга́ться rugátʹsja, ссо́риться ssóritʹsja |
Talk about this word "spat." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/spat. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. spat. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/spat "spat." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/spat.Cite this
@misc{spat_2026,
title = {spat},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/spat},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
