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Synonyms

spat

1 American  
[spat] / spæt /

noun

  1. a petty quarrel.

    Synonyms:
    set-to, scrap, tiff

  2. a light blow; slap; smack.

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.

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.

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.

spat 1 British  
/ spæt /

noun

  1. rare a slap or smack

  2. a slight quarrel

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. rare to slap (someone)

  2. (intr) to have a slight quarrel

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
spat 3 British  
/ spæt /

verb

  1. a past tense and past participle of spit 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
spat 4 British  
/ spæt /

noun

  1. another name for gaiter

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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.

The tensions are so high that even comments that appear to be jokes can trigger diplomatic spats.

From The Wall Street Journal

The public spat between the dueling San Francisco companies showcased an intense rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic as they go head-to-head in a battle that could shape the technology’s future.

From Los Angeles Times

It occurred to me that gnomes didn’t really have brains, just some space in their heads that stored all our words and spat them back out when they reached the receiver.

From Literature

The spat does highlight how Tesla’s relationship with California has changed.

From Barron's

For now, though, the prospect of diplomatic negotiations appears to have tapered off the threat of an imminent military spat between the two countries.

From Barron's

Definitions 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.