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

See Examples For:

spat spatted spatting

She is also locked in a separate legal spat over Levon’s estate, where she has accused her stepmother, Sandra “Sandy” Helm, of misusing funds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

In the most extreme case, at one point it gave me less than 10 seconds to figure out a puzzle before a character spat out the solution.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Authorities from throughout Southern California have faced a spat of e-bike and e-motorcycle incidents, including a teen who led Orange County law enforcement on a chase last month.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Canadians thought the spat had been resolved when Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on June 9 that the bridge would officially open in three days.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

So when Dad said Mom’s sleeping, the word swallowed me whole and spat me back out.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

In a reminder of the delicate nature of their ties, diplomats between the two countries last week spatted over a South Korean lawmaker’s visit to disputed islets located in the waters between the two countries.

From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2023

The rift began, bleated keyhole journalism's grand old man, when ex-Bootlegger-Speakeasier Billingsley, whose flossy Stork Club got much of its floss from Winchell's ceaseless plugs, spatted with Winchell over a pack of cigarettes.

From Time Magazine Archive

Again Publisher Bonfils refused to answer, clapped his derby upon his greying head, walked out on spatted feet.

From Time Magazine Archive

They had tried, these attendants, to expound, from time to time, on various objects to the spatted or braceleted clients of Scott and Fowles.

From Time Magazine Archive

He rocks forward on his spatted feet and squeezes out a real tear.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

I’m sure if I looked hard enough, I could find some subsection of the dinosaur community where people are spatting over science or fighting about feathers and scales.

From Salon ● Apr. 12, 2026

If an argument were a tennis match, many of us would tear right through the net during a frenzy of back-and-forth spatting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2022

Nelson, a Flower Mound Republican, said Monday of her House counterparts, “We’re not spatting with them.”

From Washington Times ● Apr. 13, 2015

Thanks to the magic of Twitter, we can now experience all of the spinning, spatting, and snarking from both sides of the aisle in real time.

From Slate ● Jan. 28, 2014

It reminded Ralph of the noise made by a boy playing with a big lump of clay, and spatting it violently against a wooden fence.

From Ralph in the Switch Tower by Chapman, Allen

Related Words

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