spate

1 (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent; "a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of money"; "he made a mint on the stock market"; "it must have cost plenty" [syn: batch, deal, flock, good deal, great deal, hatful, heap, lot, mass, mess, mickle, mint, muckle, peck, pile, plenty, pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, stack, tidy sum, wad, whole lot, whole slew]

2 a sudden forceful flow [syn: rush, surge, upsurge]

3 the occurrence of a water flow resulting from sudden rain or melting snow [syn: freshet]

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪt

Noun

1. A string, series or trend

   There has been a recent spate of burglary in the neighborhood.

2. A river flood; an overflow or inundation.

Romanian

Etymology

spatula from classical Latin spathae

Noun

1. shoulder
2. back

Declension

Spate is a surname, and may refer to:

• Clive Spate (born 1952), British game show contestant
• Mario Spate (21st century), Australian singer
• Oskar Spate (1911-2000), geographer

See also

• Pate
• Spade (disambiguation)
• Spat

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