1. [informal] A quarrel about petty points
   "The siblings got into a spat over who would wash the dishes";
   - bicker, bickering, tiff [informal], squabble, pettifoggery, fuss, brannigan [US, informal]
    
2. A cloth covering (a legging) that covers the instep and ankles
   "The Victorian gentleman wore spats over his shoes";
   - gaiter
    
3. A young oyster or other bivalve
   "The oyster farmer carefully tended to the spat to ensure their growth"

1. [informal] Engage in a brief and petty quarrel
   "The siblings spat over who would get the last cookie"
    
2. Clap one's hands together
   "The audience spat in appreciation";
   - clap
    
3. Come down like raindrops
   "Bullets were spatting down on us"
    
4. Strike with a sound like that of falling rain
   "Bullets were spatting the leaves"
    
5. Become permanently attached
   "mollusks or oysters spat"
    
6. Spawn
   "oysters spat"

1. Expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth
   "The father of the victim spat at the alleged murderer";
   - spew [informal], spue [archaic]
    
2. Utter with anger or contempt
   "He spat out a series of insults"; "She spit the words at him in disgust";
   - spit out
    
3. Drive a skewer through
   "spit the meat for the BBQ";
   - skewer
    
4. [Brit] Rain gently
   "It has only spat, but the roads are slick";
   - sprinkle, spatter, patter, pitter-patter

Derived forms: spatted, spatting, spats

Type of: altercate [archaic], argufy [informal], attach, barney [Brit, informal], blue [Austral, NZ, informal], bust-up [informal], collide with, come down, cough out, cough up, ding-dong [Brit, informal], dispute, dustup [informal], dust-up, emit, expectorate, fall, gesticulate, gesture, hit, impact, impinge on, leg covering, legging, leging [non-standard], let loose, let out, motion, offspring, pin, precipitate, quarrel, rain, rain down, row[2], run into, run-in [informal], scrap, slanging match [Brit, informal], spawn, spit out, spit up, strike, utter, words, wrangle, young

Part of: Bivalvia, class Bivalvia, class Lamellibranchia, class Pelecypoda, Lamellibranchia

Encyclopedia: Spat