spat
1 of 5 ˈspat 
past tense and past participle of spit
spat
2 of 5noun (1)
plural spat or spats
: a young bivalve (such as an oyster)
spat
3 of 5noun (2)
: a cloth or leather gaiter covering the instep and ankle
spat
4 of 5noun (3)
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
spat
5 of 5verb
spatted; spatting
transitive verb
chiefly dialectal : slap
intransitive verb
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
- altercate
- argue
- argufy
- bicker
- brabble
- brawl
- controvert
- dispute
- fall out
- fight
- hassle
- jar
- quarrel
- quibble
- row
- scrap
- squabble
- tiff
- wrangle
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb They were typical sisters, spatting one minute, playing together the next. we tend to spat over money more than anything else
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
origin unknown
Noun (2)
short for spatterdash legging
Noun (3)
origin unknown
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1667, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
circa 1802, in the meaning defined above
Noun (3)
1729, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
circa 1832, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Kids Definition
spat 1 of 3
past tense and past participle of spit
spat
2 of 3noun
ˈspat
: a cloth or leather covering for the instep and ankle men once wore over shoes
spat
3 of 3noun
: a brief unimportant quarrel
Medical Definition
spat
past and past part of spit
spatting
verb
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily we tend to spat over money more than anything else Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- bickering
- fighting
- quarreling
- arguing
- clashing
- quarrelling
- brawling
- squabbling
- wrangling
- controverting
- debating
- disputing
- hassling
- rowing
- scrapping
- discussing
- quibbling
- altercating
- jarring
- tiffing
- locking horns
- falling out
- brabbling
- butting heads
- bandying words
- contending
- argufying
- tangling
- contesting
- caviling
- objecting
- protesting
- mixing it up
- fussing
- daring
- nitpicking
- cavilling
- kicking
- challenging
- defying
- considering
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- coexisting
- agreeing
- getting along
- accepting
- consenting
- concurring
- assenting