spat

¹ American  

[spat] / spæt /

noun

1. a petty quarrel.

   Synonyms:

   set-to, scrap, tiff

2. a light blow; slap; smack.

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verb (used without object)

spatted, spatting

1. to engage in a petty quarrel or dispute.

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

verb (used with object)

spatted, spatting

1. to strike lightly; slap.

spat ² American  

[spat] / spæt /

verb

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

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spat ³ American  

[spat] / spæt /

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.

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spat ⁴ American  

[spat] / spæt /

noun

Zoology.

1. the spawn of an oyster or similar shellfish.

2. young oysters collectively, especially seed oysters.

3. a young oyster.

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spat ¹ British  

/ spæt /

noun

1. rare a slap or smack

2. a slight quarrel

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verb

1. rare to slap (someone)

2. (intr) to have a slight quarrel

spat ² British  

/ 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

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spat ³ British  

/ spæt /

verb

1. a past tense and past participle of spit 1

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spat ⁴ British  

/ spæt /

noun

1. another name for gaiter

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Etymology

Origin of spat¹

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; perhaps imitative

Origin of spat³

First recorded in 1795–1805; short for spatterdash

Origin of spat⁴

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

Explanation

You probably recognize the word spat from the phrase "lover's spat," which describes a minor squabble between a couple. The spat is usually over something as silly as which partner has to do the laundry, and the relationship usually recovers quickly, with no long-term harm done. For the purposes of this definition, the noun spat refers to a minor argument or mild bickering. That is the definition by which spat is probably best known, but the word has other meanings. Depending on how you use spat, it can be the past participle of spit, the short piece of leather men wore over their shoes in the old days, or an oyster that hasn't quite reached its prime.

Example Sentences

Despite the latest spat, Ritter points out that on the prediction market platform Kalshi, External link bets on what date Anthropic will announce an IPO did not shift dramatically in the wake of the announcement.

From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026

The nasty spat culminated in April when Shell agreed to resign as president of Paramount Skydance to concentrate on his legal headache.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

And Tusk is seeking to dampen the spat, appealing to both Zelensky and Nawrocki to have "a direct and honest conversation" before things spiral out of hand.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Berlin will no longer pursue building and ordering the aircraft after failing to resolve a spat between Airbus and Dassault over which should take the lead on its development, a senior German government official said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Some astronomers proposed that there were fountains that spat out matter, and the galaxies moved away from these founts, aging and dying.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• altercation
• bickering
• brouhaha
• difference of opinion
• disagreement
• discord
• falling-out
• feud
• flare-up
• fracas
• friction
• misunderstanding
• run-in
• squabble
• strife
• tiff