spate

(spāt)

1. A sudden flood, rush, or outpouring: "It issues a spate of words from the loudspeakers and the politicians" (Virginia Woolf).

2. Chiefly British

a. A flash flood.

b. A freshet resulting from a downpour of rain or melting of snow.

c. A sudden heavy fall of rain.

[Middle English, of unknown origin.]

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.

spate

(speɪt)

1. a fast flow, rush, or outpouring: a spate of words.

2. (Physical Geography) chiefly Brit a sudden flood: the rivers were in spate.

3. (Physical Geography) chiefly Brit a sudden heavy downpour

[C15 (Northern and Scottish): of unknown origin]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

spate

(speɪt)

n.

1. a sudden, almost overwhelming outpouring.

2. Brit.

a. a flood.

b. a river flooding its banks.

c. a sudden or heavy rainstorm.

[1400–50; late Middle English (north), of obscure orig.]

spate

- A sudden flood or rush, an outpouring.

See also related terms for rush.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	spate - (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent; "a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of money"; "he made a mint on the stock market"; "see the rest of the winners in our huge passel of photos"; "it must have cost plenty"; "a slew of journalists"; "a wad of money" good deal, great deal, hatful, lot, muckle, passel, peck, mickle, mint, quite a little, slew, tidy sum, wad, stack, raft, mountain, pile, plenty, mass, batch, heap, deal, flock, pot, mess, sight large indefinite amount, large indefinite quantity - an indefinite quantity that is above the average in size or magnitude deluge, flood, inundation, torrent - an overwhelming number or amount; "a flood of requests"; "a torrent of abuse" haymow - a mass of hay piled up in a barn for preservation
	2.	spate - a sudden forceful flow surge, upsurge, rush flow, flowing - the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases) debris storm, debris surge - the sudden spread of dust and debris from a collapsing building; "the destruction of the building produced an enormous debris surge" onrush - a forceful forward rush or flow; "from the bow she stared at the mesmerising onrush of the sea where it split and foamed"; "the explosion interrupted the wild onrush of her thoughts"
	3.	spate - the occurrence of a water flow resulting from sudden rain or melting snow freshet flow, flowing - the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)

spate

noun flood, flow, torrent, rush, deluge, outpouring the current spate of scandals

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

spate

noun

1. A sudden or rapid flowing outward:

efflux, gush, outflow, outpour, outpouring.

2. Something suggestive of running water:

current, drift, flood, flow, flux, rush, stream, surge, tide.

3. Chiefly British. An abundant, usually overwhelming flow or fall, as of a river or rain:

alluvion, cataclysm, cataract, deluge, downpour, flood, freshet, inundation, Niagara, overflow, torrent.

Translations

inondazione ondata piena

spate

[speɪt] N

1. (fig) → torrente m, avalancha f; [of burglaries] → serie f

2. to be in (full) spate [river] → estar (muy) crecido

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

spate

[ˈspeɪt] n

(= series) → vague f
a spate of [+ attacks, scandals] → une vague de

to be in spate [river] → être en crue

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

spate

n (of river) → Hochwasser nt; (fig, of letters, orders etc) → Flut f; (of burglaries, accidents) → Serie f; (of words, abuse) → Schwall m; the river is in (full) spate → der Fluss führt Hochwasser; a spate of words → ein Wortschwall m; a spate of excited talk → aufgeregtes Stimmengewirr

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

spate

[speɪt] n (of letters, orders) → valanga; (of words, abuse) → torrente m; (of accidents) → gran numero
to be in spate (river) → essere in piena

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

I managed to make out the road by means of occasional ruins of its villas and fences and lamps, and so presently I got out of this spate and made my way to the hill going up towards Roehampton and came out on Putney Common.

View in context

In this steady rain the springs of the mountain were broken up; every glen gushed water like a cistern; every stream was in high spate, and had filled and overflowed its channel.

View in context

She did not wish this spate of business and self-advertisement checked.

View in context

When he waked, the talk, still in spate, was more within his comprehension.

View in context

Now the spates are banked and deep; now the footless boulders leap-- Now the lightning shows each littlest leaf-rib clear-- But thy throat is shut and dried, and thy heart against thy side

View in context

It was the latest in a spate of attacks launched by the Iranian-backed militia, and just hours after the Houthis had targeted the same southwestern Saudi city in a matter of hours.

Arab coalition intercept drone targeting Khamis Mushayt

The spate of killings started after four policemen were ambushed by suspected New People's Army in Ayungon town last July 18.

Army in Visayas supports possible martial law in Negros Oriental

The spate of killings followed the execution of four intel cops in Ayungon town where the cop-victims were deceived to meet a police asset that would squeal on local communist rebels--only to be executed publicly.

Negros Oriental police chief relieved over spate of killings

It states: "Following a spate of illnesses in December, a decision was taken to suspend training at Tees Barrage and to investigate other possible training venues."

Training at barrage has been stopped

Aare Onakakanfo, while decrying the spate of insecurity in the country and blaming the incident on the weak institution and leadership failure, pointed out that as the generalissimo of the Yoruba race, the situation had placed huge pressure on him, particularly, from Nigerians in the Diaspora.

S/West Security Summit: Aare Adams Lauds Governors

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Our community police officers are continuing to patrol Ferry Village to help combat the recent spate of thefts from motor vehicles in the area.

Police step up patrols after cars are targeted