spat

/spæt/
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A small word shared by the past of spit, brief quarrels, old shoe coverings, young oysters, and the verb for petty arguing.

Examples

  • The cat spat and backed away.
  • A minor spat erupted during the meeting.
  • The couple laughed about the spat later.
  • The actor wore black shoes with pale spats.
  • Their spat was settled before dinner.

Similar words

eject
argument
shoe cover
tiff
overshoe
row
bicker
anklet
squabble
settled larva

Meanings

Expelled from the mouth

verb
bodily
neutral
Ejected saliva, food, liquid, sharp words, or small bursts from the mouth or another opening.

Examples

  • He spat into the sink.
  • She spat the bitter tea back into the cup.
  • The comedian spat the line with real anger.
  • The old printer spat pages onto the floor.
  • A burst pipe spat water across the room.
  • The cat spat and backed away.
  • The fire spat sparks into the air.

Similar words

Brief quarrel

noun
social
informal
A short argument or disagreement, usually minor and often quickly settled.

Examples

  • The siblings had a brief spat over the toy.
  • A public spat broke out between the rival campaigns.
  • Their spat was settled before dinner.
  • The couple laughed about the spat later.
  • A minor spat erupted during the meeting.
  • The neighbors had another spat about parking.
  • The online spat faded after a few hours.

Similar words

Short shoe covering

noun
fashion
neutral
A cloth or leather covering worn over the instep and ankle of a shoe, now mostly seen in historical dress or uniforms.

Examples

  • He fastened a white spat over his left shoe.
  • The actor wore black shoes with pale spats.
  • A polished spat protected the boot from mud.
  • The costume included a cane, a hat, and spats.
  • Victorian men often wore spats with formal dress.
  • The museum displayed one torn spat beside the uniform.
  • Rain stained the edge of his leather spat.

Similar words

Young settled shellfish

noun
marine
technical
A young oyster or other bivalve after its larval stage, especially once it has attached to a surface.

Examples

  • The hatchery released thousands of spat into the bay.
  • Oyster spat attached to old shells.
  • Farmers counted the spat on each tray.
  • Healthy spat grew quickly in the warm water.
  • The reef gained new spat after the spawning season.
  • Researchers moved the spat to larger cages.
  • The nursery supplied spat for local oyster farms.

Similar words

Quarrel briefly

verb
social
informal
To argue in a brief, petty, or irritated way.

Examples

  • The roommates spat about chores every weekend.
  • The rivals spatted over campaign money.
  • Neighbors kept spatting about the fence.
  • The sisters spat one minute and laughed the next.
  • Fans spat online after the close match.
  • The board members spatted over the budget.
  • The hosts spat lightly about who forgot the keys.

Similar words

Etymology

The past form belongs to spit. The shoe-covering noun is shortened from spatterdash, while the oyster and quarrel nouns are of uncertain origin.

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