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to spat
01
to clap together or strike the hands
Transitive: to spat one's hands
Grammatical Information
Composition
Simple
Action verb
Regular
Present tense
spat
3rd person singular
spats
Present participle
spatting
Past simple
spatted
Past participle
spatted
Examples
The children gathered in a circle, singing and spatting their hands in time with the music.
02
to have a quick and small argument, usually over unimportant matters
Intransitive: to spat | to spat about sth | to spat over sth
Examples
Friends occasionally spat about choosing a place to eat for lunch.
03
(of shellfish) to spawn or release larvae
Intransitive
Examples
The oysters spat during the breeding season, releasing their larvae into the water.
04
to produce a splattering or smacking noise
Intransitive
Examples
The rain spatted against the windowpane, creating a rhythmic tapping sound.
Spat
01
a short quarrel about a matter that is unimportant
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Abstract
Composition
Simple
Countable
Plural form
spats
02
a young oyster or other bivalve that has recently settled and attached itself to a surface in its natural habitat
03
a cloth covering (a legging) that covers the instep and ankles
Lexical Tree
spatter
spat
