Standard Lemma guide

spat

noun · verb · 23 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /spæt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æt
  • CMU ARPABET: S P AE1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The spawn of shellfish, especially oysters and similar molluscs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A juvenile shellfish which has attached to a hard surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A covering or decorative covering worn over a shoe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-plural, often

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A piece of bodywork that covers the upper portions of the rear tyres of a car.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, UK

Topics: automotive, transport, vehicles

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fender skirt

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A drag-reducing aerodynamic fairing covering the upper portions of the tyres of an aeroplane equipped with non-retractable landing gear.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A brief argument, falling out, quarrel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • get into a trivial spat over punctuality
  • have a vicious spat with the cousins

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tiff

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A light blow with something flat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

An obsolete unit of distance in astronomy (symbol S), equal to one billion kilometres.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

simple past and past participle of spit

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

Examples

  • There was no sink in the room so we spat out the window.
  • If I had known you had a spittoon in the corner I would never have spat on the floor.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To spawn, used of shellfish as above.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To quarrel or argue pettily briefly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tiff, squabble, barney, bicker, quarrel, wrangle, argue, tift, quibble, row, pettifog

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To strike with a spattering sound.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To slap, as with the open hand; to clap together, as the hands.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, dialectal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

a young oyster or other bivalve

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: young, offspring

15

noun

Meaning 15

a cloth covering (a legging) that covers the instep and ankles

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gaiter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: legging, leging, leg covering

16

noun

Meaning 16

a quarrel about petty points

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bicker, bickering, tiff, squabble, pettifoggery, fuss

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: quarrel, wrangle, row, words, run-in, dustup

17

verb

Meaning 17

clap one's hands together

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The children were clapping to the music

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: clap

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gesticulate, gesture, motion

18

verb

Meaning 18

spawn

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • oysters spat

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: spawn

19

verb

Meaning 19

engage in a brief and petty quarrel

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: quarrel, dispute, scrap, argufy, altercate

20

verb

Meaning 20

clap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approval

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: applaud, clap, acclaim

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gesticulate, gesture, motion

Narrower terms: bravo

21

verb

Meaning 21

strike with a sound like that of falling rain

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Bullets were spatting the leaves

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hit, strike, impinge on, run into, collide with

22

verb

Meaning 22

become permanently attached

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • mollusks or oysters spat

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: attach

23

verb

Meaning 23

come down like raindrops

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Bullets were spatting down on us

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: precipitate, come down, fall

History

Etymology

Uncertain; perhaps related to spit.

Shortening of spatterdash, from spatter + dash. 1779.

1804. American English, probably imitative.

Attested from 1823.

From Latin spatium (“space”).

From Old English spittan, spætan.

Across languages

Translations

72 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: хайвер от стриди (hajver ot stridi) — spawn of shellfish
  • Finnish: toukka — young of shellfish
  • Bulgarian: гети (geti) — covering worn over a shoe
  • Catalan: polaina — covering worn over a shoe
  • Czech: psí dečka — covering worn over a shoe
  • Danish: gamache — covering worn over a shoe
  • Dutch: slobkous — covering worn over a shoe
  • Finnish: nilkkain — covering worn over a shoe
  • French: guêtre — covering worn over a shoe
  • Galician: polaina — covering worn over a shoe
  • Galician: calza — covering worn over a shoe
  • Galician: osa — covering worn over a shoe
  • German: Gamasche — covering worn over a shoe
  • German: Überschuh — covering worn over a shoe
  • Hungarian: kamásni — covering worn over a shoe
  • Italian: uose — covering worn over a shoe
  • Japanese: スパッツ (supattsu) — covering worn over a shoe
  • Macedonian: гамаш (gamaš) — covering worn over a shoe
  • Norwegian: gamasje — covering worn over a shoe
  • Polish: getry — covering worn over a shoe
  • Portuguese: polaina — covering worn over a shoe
  • Russian: ге́тра (gétra) — covering worn over a shoe
  • Russian: гама́ша (gamáša) — covering worn over a shoe
  • Russian: штибле́та (štibléta) — covering worn over a shoe
  • Spanish: polaina — covering worn over a shoe
  • Swedish: damask — covering worn over a shoe
  • German: Kotflügel — automotive: piece of bodywork
  • Spanish: guardabarros carenado — automotive: piece of bodywork
  • Bulgarian: леко скарване (leko skarvane) — quarrel
  • Dutch: ruzie — quarrel
  • Finnish: kina — quarrel
  • Finnish: kahina — quarrel
  • Finnish: kärhämä — quarrel
  • German: Wortwechsel — quarrel
  • German: Zank — quarrel
  • German: Streit — quarrel
  • German: Auseinandersetzung — quarrel
  • Italian: disputa — quarrel
  • Italian: dissidio — quarrel
  • Polish: sprzeczka — quarrel
  • Portuguese: briga — quarrel
  • Russian: спор (spor) — quarrel
  • Russian: размо́лвка (razmólvka) — quarrel
  • Russian: ссо́ра (ssóra) — quarrel
  • Russian: перебра́нка (perebránka) — quarrel
  • Spanish: altercado — quarrel
  • Spanish: rifirrafe — quarrel
  • Swedish: gräl — quarrel
  • Bulgarian: шляпване (šljapvane) — light blow with something flat
  • Finnish: läpäytys — light blow with something flat
  • Finnish: läpsäisy — light blow with something flat
  • Bulgarian: препирам се (prepiram se) — to quarrel
  • Bulgarian: карам се (karam se) — to quarrel
  • Dutch: ruzien — to quarrel
  • Finnish: kinata — to quarrel
  • Finnish: kahinoida — to quarrel
  • German: zanken — to quarrel
  • German: streiten — to quarrel
  • German: sich fetzen — to quarrel
  • Polish: sprzeczać się — to quarrel
  • Russian: брани́ться (branítʹsja) — to quarrel
  • Russian: руга́ться (rugátʹsja) — to quarrel
  • Russian: ссо́риться (ssóritʹsja) — to quarrel
  • Spanish: altercar — to quarrel
  • Spanish: malentender — to quarrel
  • Swedish: gräla — to quarrel
  • Bulgarian: шляпвам (šljapvam) — to strike with spattering sound
  • Finnish: läpäyttää — to strike with spattering sound
  • Finnish: läpsäistä — to strike with spattering sound
  • German: prasseln — to strike with spattering sound
  • Russian: шлёпать (šljópatʹ) — to strike with spattering sound
  • Russian: шлёпнуть (šljópnutʹ) — to strike with spattering sound