Etymology

spat

S1P3A1T1

Today it means: The spawn of shellfish, especially oysters and similar molluscs. Full definition →

Old English spittan
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spat · verb1

  1. Old English · derived fromspittan
  2. English todayspat

From Old English spittan, spætan.

spat · noun, verb2

Uncertain; perhaps related to spit.

spat · noun3

Shortening of spatterdash, from spatter + dash. 1779.

spat · noun, verb4

1804. American English, probably imitative.

spat · noun, verb5

Attested from 1823.

spat · noun6

  1. Latin · derived fromspatium“space”
  2. English todayspat

From Latin spatium (“space”).

Words from the same roots

Old Englishspittan all →

spit

Latinspatium all →

spacespatial

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.