: a cloth or leather gaiter covering the instep and ankle
1
chiefly dialectal
: slap entry 2
2
: a brief petty quarrel or angry outburst
a lovers' spat
3
: a sound like that of rain falling in large drops
spatted; spatting
chiefly dialectal
: slap
1
: to quarrel pettily or briefly
2
: to strike with a sound like that of rain falling in large drops
Synonyms
Noun (3)
- altercation
- argle-bargle [chiefly British]
- argument
- argy-bargy [chiefly British]
- battle royal
- bicker
- brawl
- contretemps
- controversy
- cross fire
- disagreement
- dispute
- donnybrook
- falling-out
- fight
- hassle
- imbroglio
- kickup
- misunderstanding
- quarrel
- rhubarb
- row
- scrap
- set-to
- squabble
- tiff
- wrangle
Verb
Examples of spat in a Sentence
Noun (3)
like any couple, they have their spats
Verb
They were typical sisters, spatting one minute, playing together the next.
we tend to spat over money more than anything else
Recent Examples on the Web
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2024
The diplomatic spat between Israel and some European leaders burst into the open this week.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 20 Oct. 2024
The spat’s timing is terrible for consumers, the result of an impasse that came after the companies haggled for weeks over the carriage fees Disney receives for its programming.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
Take, for example, her refusal to speak to the press regarding the legal spat between the Duchess of Sussex and her father, from whom Doria separated in 1987.
—Isaac Bickerstaff, Glamour, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spat 
Noun
That led to a public X spat between Loomer and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), herself a firebrand figure on the right.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2024
The diplomatic spat between Israel and some European leaders burst into the open this week.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 20 Oct. 2024
The spat’s timing is terrible for consumers, the result of an impasse that came after the companies haggled for weeks over the carriage fees Disney receives for its programming.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
Take, for example, her refusal to speak to the press regarding the legal spat between the Duchess of Sussex and her father, from whom Doria separated in 1987.
—Isaac Bickerstaff, Glamour, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spat
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to spat
Dictionary Entries Near spat
Cite this Entry
“Spat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spat. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spat
2 of 5 noun
plural spat or spats
: a young oyster
spat
3 of 5 noun
: a cloth or leather covering for the instep and ankle
spat
4 of 5 noun1
: a brief unimportant quarrel : dispute
2
: a sound like that of rain falling in large drops
spat
5 of 5 verb
spatted; spatting
1
: to have a spat : quarrel
2
: to strike with a sound like that of rain falling in large drops
Etymology
Noun
origin unknown
Noun
a shortened form of spatterdash "a protective covering for the ankle or leg"
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