spat

¹

[spat]

noun

1. a petty quarrel.

   Synonyms: set-to, scrap, tiff

2. a light blow; slap; smack.

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

[spat]

verb

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

spat

³

[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.

spat

⁴

[spat]

noun

Zoology.

1. the spawn of an oyster or similar shellfish.

2. young oysters collectively, especially seed oysters.

3. a young oyster.

spat

¹

/ spæt /

noun

1. rare,  a slap or smack

2. a slight quarrel

verb

1. rare,  to slap (someone)

2. (intr) to have a slight quarrel

spat

²

/ 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

spat

³

/ spæt /

verb

1. a past tense and past participle of spit 1

spat

⁴

/ spæt /

noun

1. another name for gaiter

Word History and Origins

Origin of spat¹

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; perhaps imitative

Origin of spat²

First recorded in 1795–1805; short for spatterdash

Origin of spat³

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of spat¹

C19: probably imitative of the sound of quarrelling

Origin of spat²

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

Origin of spat³

C19: short for _spatterdash

Example Sentences

Japan said Tuesday it scrambled aircraft after detecting a suspected Chinese drone off an island near Taiwan that has been drawn into a weeks-long diplomatic spat between Tokyo and Beijing.

Read more on Barron's

The bizarre spat between the Blades duo led to the video assistant referee checking for a possible red card, but no action was taken.

Read more on BBC

She expects the spat will rumble on but said she isn’t worried about it.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Shiina Ito has had fewer Chinese customers at her Tokyo jewellery shop since Beijing issued a travel warning in the wake of a diplomatic spat, but she said she was not concerned.

Read more on Barron's

And on the eve of the Ashes was the moment he snapped as a tit-for-tat spat played out in the media.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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