spat

spat ¹

 (spăt)

v.

A past tense and a past participle of spit¹.

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spat ²

 (spăt)

n. pl. spat or spats

A larva of an oyster or similar bivalve that has settled by attaching to a surface.

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[Middle English.]

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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.

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[Short for spatterdash : spatter + dash.]

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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.

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[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]

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spat

(spæt)

vb

a past tense and past participle of spit¹

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spat

(spæt)

n

(Clothing & Fashion) another name for gaiter²

[C19: short for spatterdash]

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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

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	spat - a quarrel about petty points   bicker, bickering, pettifoggery, squabble, tiff, fuss dustup, quarrel, run-in, wrangle, row, words - an angry dispute; "they had a quarrel"; "they had words"
	2.	spat - a cloth covering (a legging) that covers the instep and ankles gaiter leg covering, legging, leging - a garment covering the leg (usually extending from the knee to the ankle)
	3.	spat - a young oyster or other bivalve young, offspring - any immature animal 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 approval applaud, acclaim, clap bravo - 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 altercate, argufy, quarrel, scrap, dispute - have a disagreement over something; "We quarreled over the question as to who discovered America"; "These two fellows are always scrapping over something"
	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" clap 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

noun

1. 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.

Informal: hassle, rhubarb, tangle.

2. Informal. A quick, sharp blow, especially with the hand:

box, buffet, bust, chop, cuff, punch, slap, smack, smacker, spank, swat, whack.

Informal: clip.

verb

1. To engage in a quarrel:

argue, bicker, contend, dispute, fight, quarrel, quibble, squabble, tiff, wrangle.

Informal: hassle, tangle.

Idioms: cross swords, have it out, have words, lock horns.

2. Informal. To hit with a quick, sharp blow of the hand:

box, buffet, bust, cuff, punch, slap, smack, spank, swat, whack.

Informal: clip.

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

gamache

spat

² [spæt] N (= overshoe) → polaina f

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spat

³ [spæt] (US)

A. N → riña f, disputa f (sin trascendencia)

B. VI → reñir

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spat

⁴ [spæt] N (= oyster) → freza f; [of oysters] → hueva f de ostras

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

spat

[ˈspæt]

pt

pp of spit

n

(= quarrel) → prise f de bec

(worn over shoe) → guêtre f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

spat

¹

n (of oyster etc) → Muschellaich m

vi (oyster etc) → laichen

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spat

²

n → Halbgamasche f

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spat

³

n (inf: = quarrel) → Knatsch m (inf), → Krach m (inf)

vi (US inf: = quarrel) → zanken, streiten

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

spat

² [spæt] n (Am) → battibecco

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

spat

pret & pp de spit

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.