spat

1
[ spat ]
See synonyms for: spatspatsspattedspatting on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a petty quarrel.

  2. a light blow; slap; smack.

verb (used without object),spat·ted, spat·ting.
  1. to engage in a petty quarrel or dispute.

  2. to splash or spatter; rain spatting against the window.

verb (used with object),spat·ted, spat·ting.
  1. to strike lightly; slap.

Origin of spat

1
An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; perhaps imitative

Other words for spat

Words Nearby spat

Other definitions for spat (2 of 4)

spat2
[ spat ]

verb
  1. a simple past tense and past participle of spit1.

Other definitions for spat (3 of 4)

spat3
[ spat ]

noun
  1. a short gaiter worn over the instep and usually fastened under the foot with a strap, worn especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Origin of spat

3
First recorded in 1795–1805; short for spatterdash

Other definitions for spat (4 of 4)

spat4
[ spat ]

nounZoology.
  1. the spawn of an oyster or similar shellfish.

  2. young oysters collectively, especially seed oysters.

  1. a young oyster.

Origin of spat

4
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use spat in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spat (1 of 4)

spat1

/ (spæt) /


noun
  1. rare a slap or smack

  2. a slight quarrel

verbspats, spatting or spatted
  1. rare to slap (someone)

  2. (intr) US, Canadian and NZ to have a slight quarrel

Origin of spat

1
C19: probably imitative of the sound of quarrelling

British Dictionary definitions for spat (2 of 4)

spat2

/ (spæt) /


verb
  1. a past tense and past participle of spit 1

British Dictionary definitions for spat (3 of 4)

spat3

/ (spæt) /


noun
  1. another name for gaiter (def. 2)

Origin of spat

3
C19: short for spatterdash

British Dictionary definitions for spat (4 of 4)

spat4

/ (spæt) /


noun
  1. a larval oyster or similar bivalve mollusc, esp when it settles to the sea bottom and starts to develop a shell

  2. such oysters or other molluscs collectively

Origin of spat

4
C17: from Anglo-Norman spat; perhaps related to spit 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012