spat

Plural: spats

Noun

• a quarrel about petty points
• a cloth covering (a legging) that covers the instep and ankles
• a young oyster or other bivalve
• The spawn of shellfish, especially oysters and similar molluscs.
• A juvenile shellfish which has attached to a hard surface.
• A covering or decorative covering worn over a shoe.
• A piece of bodywork that covers the upper portions of the rear tyres of a car.
• A drag-reducing aerodynamic fairing covering the upper portions of the tyres of an aeroplane equipped with non-retractable landing gear.
• A brief argument, falling out, quarrel.
• A light blow with something flat.
• An obsolete unit of distance in astronomy (symbol S), equal to one billion kilometres.

Verb

Verb Forms: spatted, spatting, spats

• To strike lightly; also, to quarrel briefly or squabble.
• come down like raindrops
  • "Bullets were spatting down on us"
• become permanently attached
  • "mollusks or oysters spat"
• strike with a sound like that of falling rain
  • "Bullets were spatting the leaves"
• clap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approval
• engage in a brief and petty quarrel
• spawn
  • "oysters spat"
• clap one's hands together
• expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth
  • "The father of the victim spat at the alleged murderer"
• utter with anger or contempt
• rain gently
• drive a skewer through
• simple past and past participle of spit
• To spawn, used of shellfish as above.
• To quarrel or argue pettily briefly.
• To strike with a spattering sound.
• To slap, as with the open hand; to clap together, as the hands.

Examples

• get into a trivial spat over punctuality
• have a vicious spat with the cousins
• He SPAT out a quick, low-scoring word, hoping to save his good letters.
• If I had known you had a spittoon in the corner I would never have spat on the floor.
• There was no sink in the room so we spat out the window.

Synonyms

acclaim, applaud, bicker, bickering, clap, fuss, gaiter, patter, pettifoggery, pitter-patter, ptyalise, ptyalize, skewer, spatter, spew, spit, spit out, sprinkle, spue, squabble, tiff, fender skirt

Antonyms

boo

Anagrams of spat