Pronunciation: /spæt/
noun a petty quarrel or dispute
A1 The children had a spat over who got to play with the toy first.
A2 She had a spat with her friend but they quickly made up.
B1 The couple's spat escalated into a full-blown argument.
B2 After their spat, they decided to take a break from each other.
C1 The political leaders' spat was covered extensively in the media.
C2 Despite their public spat, the two actors remained professional on set.
verb past tense of the verb 'spit', meaning to eject saliva forcibly from one's mouth
A1 The baby spat out her food.
A2 The siblings spat at each other during the argument.
B1 The athlete spat on the ground before starting the race.
B2 The angry customer spat out insults at the waiter.
C1 The politician spat out accusations during the debate.
C2 The actress spat out her lines with intense emotion.
formal The two politicians engaged in a heated spat during the debate.
informal My siblings and I had a little spat over who gets to use the TV remote.
slang I can't believe they started a spat over something so trivial.
figurative The storm clouds spat raindrops as we hurried to find shelter.
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