spat
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Related to spat: splat
spat 1
(spăt)v.
A past tense and a past participle of spit1.
spat 2
(spăt)n. pl. spat or spats
A larva of an oyster or similar bivalve that has settled by attaching to a surface.
[Middle English.]
spat 3
(spăt)n.
A cloth or leather gaiter covering the shoe upper and the ankle and fastening under the shoe with a strap: The waiter wore spats as part of his uniform.
spat 4
(spăt)n.
1. A brief quarrel.
2. Informal A slap or smack.
3. A spattering sound, as of raindrops.
v. spat·ted, spat·ting, spats
v.intr.
1. To engage in a brief quarrel.
2. To strike with a light spattering sound; slap.
v.tr. Informal
To slap.
[Origin unknown.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
spat
(spæt)n
1. rare a slap or smack
2. a slight quarrel
vb, spats, spatting or spatted
3. rare to slap (someone)
4. (intr) US and Canadian and NZ to have a slight quarrel
[C19: probably imitative of the sound of quarrelling]
spat
(spæt)vb
a past tense and past participle of spit1
spat
(spæt)n
(Clothing & Fashion) another name for gaiter2
[C19: short for spatterdash]
spat
(spæt)n
1. (Zoology) a larval oyster or similar bivalve mollusc, esp when it settles to the sea bottom and starts to develop a shell
2. (Zoology) such oysters or other molluscs collectively
[C17: from Anglo-Norman spat; perhaps related to spit1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
spat1
(spæt)n., v. spat•ted, spat•ting. n.
1. a petty quarrel.
2. a light blow; slap; smack.
v.i. 3. to engage in a petty quarrel or dispute.
4. to splash or spatter.
[1795–1805, Amer.; perhaps imitative]
spat2
(spæt)v.
a pt. and pp. of spit 1.
spat3
(spæt)n.
a short gaiter worn over the instep and usu. fastened under the foot with a strap.
[1795–1805; short for spatterdash gaiter]
spat4
(spæt)n.
1. the spawn of an oyster or similar shellfish.
2. young oysters collectively.
3. a young oyster.
[1350–1400; Middle English; orig. uncertain]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
spat
Past participle: spatted
Gerund: spatting
| Imperative |
|---|
| spat |
| spat |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  spat - a quarrel about petty points |
| 2. |  spat - a cloth covering (a legging) that covers the instep and anklesleg covering, legging, leging - a garment covering the leg (usually extending from the knee to the ankle) | |
| 3. | spat - a young oyster or other bivalve Bivalvia, class Bivalvia, class Lamellibranchia, class Pelecypoda, Lamellibranchia - oysters; clams; scallops; mussels | |
| Verb | 1. | spat - come down like raindrops; "Bullets were spatting down on us" come down, precipitate, fall - fall from clouds; "rain, snow and sleet were falling"; "Vesuvius precipitated its fiery, destructive rage on Herculaneum" |
| 2. | spat - become permanently attached; "mollusks or oysters spat" attach - become attached; "The spider's thread attached to the window sill" | |
| 3. | spat - strike with a sound like that of falling rain; "Bullets were spatting the leaves" collide with, impinge on, hit, run into, strike - hit against; come into sudden contact with; "The car hit a tree"; "He struck the table with his elbow" | |
| 4. |  spat - clap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approvalbravo - applaud with shouts of `bravo' or `brava' gesticulate, gesture, motion - show, express or direct through movement; "He gestured his desire to leave" | |
| 5. | spat - engage in a brief and petty quarrel | |
| 6. | spat - spawn; "oysters spat" spawn - lay spawn; "The salmon swims upstream to spawn" | |
| 7. | spat - clap one's hands together; "The children were clapping to the music" gesticulate, gesture, motion - show, express or direct through movement; "He gestured his desire to leave" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
spat
noun quarrel, dispute, squabble, controversy, contention, bickering, tiff, altercation, turf war (informal) a spat over interest rates and currencies
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
spat
noun1. A discussion, often heated, in which a difference of opinion is expressed:
altercation, argument, bicker, clash, contention, controversy, debate, difficulty, disagreement, dispute, fight, polemic, quarrel, run-in, squabble, tiff, word (used in plural), wrangle.
1. To engage in a quarrel:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
spat
2 [spæt] N (= overshoe) → polaina fspat
3 [spæt] (US)B. VI → reñir
spat
4 [spæt] N (= oyster) → freza f; [of oysters] → hueva f de ostrasCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
spat
pret & pp de spitEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.