- Chiefly Brit.
- a flash flood
- a sudden, heavy rain
- an unusually large outpouring, as of words
- a great number or quantity: a spate of forest fires
Origin of spate
Middle English (northern dialect, dialectal ) from uncertain or unknown; perhaps
noun
- The definition of a spate is an unexpected rush or outpowering.
An example of a spate is an overflowing of angry words.
- Spate is a British term for a heavy rainstorm that results in flash floods.
An example of a spate is five feet of water in downtown London.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"Spate." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/SPATE.
APA Style
Spate. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/SPATE
spate
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"Spate." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/SPATE.
APA Style
Spate. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/SPATE
spate
noun
- A sudden flood, rush, or outpouring: “It issues a spate of words from the loudspeakers and the politicians” ( Virginia Woolf )
- Chiefly British a. A flash flood.b. A freshet resulting from a downpour of rain or melting of snow.c. A sudden heavy fall of rain.
Origin of spate
Middle English of unknown originTHE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"Spate." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/SPATE.
APA Style
Spate. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/SPATE
Origin
Of Celtic origin; compare Irish speid.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"Spate." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/SPATE.
APA Style
Spate. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/SPATE
Sentence Examples
- Today, the Liz Claiborne brand family is marketed worldwide and includes domestic and international labels like Liz Claiborne, Juicy Couture, Kate Spate, and Mexx.
- Crocodile wallets may run upwards of $2000 in some cases, and are available in a spate of neutral, practical shades (think black, camel and dark brown).
- In later years, the Tundra would once again achieve an average reliability rating, but the spate of recalls may continue to affect consumer confidence for some time.
- Regardless of the reason, Toyota issued a spate of recalls in late 2009 and 2010.
- With a breathtaking view of the ocean shimmering in the background, a spate of soft, hot sand underfoot and the sun shining down on friends and family, the magic of the moment is somehow amplified in this lovely setting.
» more...