Spate

Pronunciation: /speɪt/

Definitions of spate

noun a large number or amount of something, especially in a brief period of time

Example Sentences

A1 There was a spate of rainy days last week.

A2 The recent spate of car accidents has raised concerns among the community.

B1 The company experienced a spate of layoffs due to financial difficulties.

B2 The spate of new product releases has increased competition in the market.

C1 The government is investigating the spate of cyber attacks on major corporations.

C2 The spate of natural disasters in the region has led to widespread devastation.

Examples of spate in a Sentence

formal The recent spate of cyber attacks has raised concerns about data security.

informal There has been a spate of car break-ins in the neighborhood lately.

slang There's been a spate of drama on social media this week.

figurative A spate of emotions washed over her as she read the letter.

Grammatical Forms of spate

• past tense: spated
• plural: spates
• comparative: more spate
• superlative: most spate
• present tense: spates
• future tense: will spate
• perfect tense: have spated
• continuous tense: is spating
• singular: spate
• positive degree: spate
• infinitive: to spate
• gerund: spating
• participle: spated

Origin and Evolution of spate

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old Norse

Story behind the word: The word 'spate' originated from the Old Norse word 'spati' meaning 'flood'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'spate' evolved to refer to a sudden outpouring or flood of something, not limited to just water, but also used to describe a large amount of something happening all at once.