spate
Americannoun
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a sudden, almost overwhelming, outpouring.
a spate of angry words.
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British.
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a flood or inundation.
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a river flooding its banks.
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a sudden or heavy rainstorm.
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noun
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a fast flow, rush, or outpouring
a spate of words
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a sudden flood
the rivers were in spate
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a sudden heavy downpour
Etymology
Origin of spate
1400–50; late Middle English (north) < ?
Explanation
A spate is a large number. If a spate of new coffee shops open in your neighborhood, it’ll be easy for you to stay wide awake. You’ll have easy access to plenty of caffeine. Though it’s now used to describe a large number or unusually large amount of something, the word spate originally described a sudden flood of water, such as a river overflowing after a downpour. Thinking about being overwhelmed by a sudden rush of water will help you remember to use spate when you encounter an unexpected overflow of anything, whether it’s books, robberies, celebrity break-ups, or corporate mergers.
Vocabulary lists containing spate
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Born a Crime
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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.
In July, a fragile 2022 truce fell apart after the Houthis allowed an Iranian plane to land in Yemen's capital Sanaa in defiance of Riyadh's control over Yemeni airspace, setting off a spate of attacks.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
In Japan, meanwhile, around 20 companies have said their data may have been compromised in a spate of similar cyberattacks potentially impacting millions of customers.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
There have also been a spate of injuries to key players, but Jaissle has only lost one of his opening seven matches in all competitions, a chastening 4-1 defeat at Leeds United.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Researchers have discovered a spate of instances of OpenAI’s artificial-intelligence models exhibiting rogue behavior online in recent weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
He had seen the Crawling Backwards Days and his gratitude to Mammachi and her family for all that they had done for him was as wide and deep as a river in spate.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
