1. The occurrence of a water flow resulting from sudden rain or melting snow
   "The spring spate caused the river to overflow its banks";
   - freshet
    
2. A sudden, often forceful flow
   "The hurricane caused a spate of debris to flood the streets";
   - rush, surge, upsurge, tide, upswell
    
3. (often followed by ‘of’) a large number, amount or extent
   "a spate of letters";
   - batch, deal, flock, good deal, great deal, hatful, heap, lot, mass, mess, mickle [archaic], mountain, muckle, passel [US], peck, pile [informal], plenty, pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, stack [informal], tidy sum, wad, bunch [informal], scad [N. Amer, informal]

Derived forms: spates

Type of: flow, flowing, large indefinite amount, large indefinite quantity

Encyclopedia: Spate