spat
1 Americanverb
noun
noun
-
the spawn of an oyster or similar shellfish.
-
young oysters collectively, especially seed oysters.
-
a young oyster.
noun
-
rare a slap or smack
-
a slight quarrel
verb
-
rare to slap (someone)
-
(intr) to have a slight quarrel
noun
-
a larval oyster or similar bivalve mollusc, esp when it settles to the sea bottom and starts to develop a shell
-
such oysters or other molluscs collectively
verb
noun
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.
Vocabulary lists containing spat
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.