spat

1.nounB2

Definition

a brief disagreement between two or more people about a small matter that does not last very long

Example

A spat over parking spaces broke out between the neighbours on Sunday morning.

collocation: spat over [topic]

Tomás and his sister had a brief spat over who should wash the dishes.

Common collocations

spat over
spat about
spat with
brief spat
public spat
petty spat
couple's spat

Synonyms

quarrel
a more general and slightly more serious disagreement; 'spat' suggests something shorter and less significant
squabble
similar in meaning to 'spat' but often used for repeated or childish arguments
tiff
an even milder, more playful disagreement, usually between people who are close
argument
a broader term that can refer to any verbal disagreement, from minor to serious

2.nounC1

Definition

a fabric or leather cover that fits over the ankle and the upper part of a shoe, fastened at the side with buttons — worn mainly by men in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Example

The antique shop had a dusty pair of white spats owned by a 1920s banker.

usually plural: a pair of spats

In period dramas, characters who wear spats are usually set in the early 1900s.

Common collocations

pair of spats
white spats
woollen spats
buttoned spats

Synonyms

gaiters
a similar leg covering that extends higher up the leg than spats

Usage Note

Almost always used in the plural form 'spats'. This item of clothing is now very uncommon in everyday wear and appears mostly in historical contexts, vintage fashion, or period films.

3.nounC2

Definition

a very young shellfish with two hinged shells, especially an oyster that has recently settled on a surface and begun to grow

Example

The shellfish farmer collected young spats from the oyster beds near the coast.

domain: shellfish farming

Each spat attaches to a shell or rope and becomes an oyster in two years.

Common collocations

oyster spat
collect spats
spat fall
spat settlement

Usage Note

A technical term used in aquaculture and marine biology. Outside these fields, most English speakers do not recognise this meaning.

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA2

Definition

past tense and past participle form of the verb spit¹, meaning to force liquid or food out from the mouth, or to make a sound like this

Example

The cat spat at the dog when it came too close to her newborn kittens.

pattern: spat at [person/animal]

Minho spat out the sour medicine and reached for a glass of water.

pattern: spat out [object]

Common collocations

spat at
spat out
spat on
spat upon

Grammar Patterns

spat + [object]

spat + out + [object]

spat + at + [person/animal]

Usage Note

This is not a separate meaning but the past form of 'spit'. 'Spat' is used for both the simple past ('He spat on the ground') and the past participle ('He has spat on the ground'). In American English, 'spit' as the past form is also accepted but considered less formal.

Common Mistakes

He spitted on the floor.

He spat on the floor.

'spit' is an irregular verb; its past form is 'spat', not 'spitted'.

2.verbintransitiveB2

Definition

to argue briefly with someone about a matter that is not important, without the disagreement lasting long

Example

The two politicians spat at each other during the live television debate over education funding.

pattern: spat with [person] over [topic]

Siblings often spat over small things and then make up again within minutes.

Common collocations

spat with
spat about
spat over

Synonyms

bicker
suggests repeated, ongoing arguments over trivial things, rather than a single short one
squabble
similar meaning but often used for childish or noisy arguments
argue
a more general term that can describe disagreements of any length or seriousness

Grammar Patterns

spat + with [person] + about [topic]

spat + over [topic]

Usage Note

Used when you want to suggest that the argument was short and not deeply serious. The noun form 'spat' (sense 1) is far more common than this verb. In everyday conversation, people rarely use the progressive form 'spatting'.

Common Mistakes

They spat for hours about politics.

They had a brief spat about politics.

'spat' as a verb suggests a short argument; for longer disputes, use 'argued' or 'quarrelled'.

3.verbtransitive / intransitiveC2

Definition

to hit against a surface in a way that produces a quick, light tapping noise similar to the sound of heavy raindrops falling

Example

The first drops of rain spat against the dusty windowpane of the old farmhouse.

pattern: spat against [surface]

Jisoo heard gravel spat against the car as the tyres spun on the loose gravel.

Common collocations

spat against
spat across
spat from
spat onto

Synonyms

tap
a more common word for light striking sounds; 'spat' emphasises a sharper, more scattered noise
patter
specifically for light, repeated striking sounds like rain; 'spat' suggests fewer, louder impacts

Grammar Patterns

spat + against [surface]

spat + [object]

Usage Note

This is a rare and literary sense, most often used in descriptive or poetic writing to convey the sound and movement of small particles (rain, gravel, oil drops) hitting a surface. Not used in everyday conversation.

Word family

spit
verbA2
spatter
verbC1
spatting
nounC2
spats
noun (plural only)C1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a verbal conflict between people, but they differ in length, seriousness, and tone. 'Quarrel' is the most general: it can be short or long, mild or serious. 'Squabble' adds a sense of pettiness and often childish noise — you might overhear children squabbling over a toy. 'Tiff' is the mildest and most playful, typically between people in a close relationship; a romantic couple might have a tiff over which film to watch and forget it an hour later. 'Disagreement' is the most neutral and formal — it can describe any difference of opinion, from a polite discussion to a heated debate. 'Spat' sits between 'tiff' and 'squabble': it is brief and about something unimportant, but it can carry a sharper, more irritated tone than 'tiff'. For example: 'Their spat over the parking space was over in two minutes, but everyone at the party heard it.'

quarrel ↗squabble ↗tiffdisagreement ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

neighbours
siblings
couple
politicians
colleagues

Adverbs

Phrases

a pair of spats
spat with someone about something

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'spat' comes from several different origins that converged into one spelling. The 'petty quarrel' meaning (both noun and verb) probably comes from the American English of the early 1800s, possibly imitating the sound of a quick, light slap or dispute. The shoe-covering meaning comes from the shortening of 'spatterdashes' (17th-century leggings worn to protect against mud and spatter). The biological term for a young oyster comes from the Old English 'spæt' meaning spawn or offspring of shellfish. Meanwhile, 'spat' as the past form of 'spit' is an older Germanic past tense that developed naturally from the ancestor of modern English.

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spat

spat — noun

1. a brief disagreement between two or more people about a small matter that does n

2. a fabric or leather cover that fits over the ankle and the upper part of a shoe,

Usage Note

3. a very young shellfish with two hinged shells, especially an oyster that has rec

Usage Note

spat — verb

1. past tense and past participle form of the verb spit¹, meaning to force liquid o

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. to argue briefly with someone about a matter that is not important, without the

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. to hit against a surface in a way that produces a quick, light tapping noise sim

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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