noun / verb
spat
SPAT/spæt/
A brief, petty quarrel, or to engage in one.
The colleagues' brief spat over the fan ends when they share its redirected airflow.
Etymology
Spat is recorded in American English with the meaning “petty quarrel,” but its origin is unknown. A sound-imitative connection with dialectal spat, “smack” or “slap,” is only a possibility.
In context
these two kids get into a spat and then reconcile
More examples
- The roommates sometimes spat over whose turn it is to clean.
- They spatted over parking but soon forgot the whole thing.
- Even close friends have occasional spats.
Forms
spat · spats · spatted · spatting