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# spat

«spat» in Mova's school dictionary: **the past form of «spit»: to force liquid, food or saliva…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb form (past of spit: spit, spits, spat/spit, spitting); noun (a spat, spats)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Spat is the past form of «spit»: to force liquid, food or saliva out of your mouth. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spat/#m1)

2) A spat is a short, small argument or quarrel. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spat/#m2)

3) Spats (old-fashioned) are cloth covers worn over the top of shoes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spat/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In manners and hygiene lessons spitting is rude and spreads germs. In stories a character «spat out» angry words. In everyday life children have small spats with friends that are soon over. Phrases: «spat it out», «spat at», «a spat with a friend».

### examples

- He spat out the sour sweet. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spat/#x1)
- The llama spat at the visitor! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spat/#x2)
- The cat hissed and spat. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spat/#x3)
- «Go away!» she spat angrily. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spat/#x4)
- My sister and I had a spat over the TV remote. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spat/#x5)
- The fire spat sparks onto the rug. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spat/#x6)
- In revenge the Serpent spat some of his poison into the man's drinking-horn. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spat/#x7)

### note

Past of «spit»: «spat» (UK and US) or «spit» (also in the US). Spitting at people is very rude and can spread illness. «Spitting image» means looking exactly alike.

### In the corpora

- [Toothpaste is spat out, not swallowed, because too much swallowed fluoride is not good for the body.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/73-brushing-your-teeth/14/)
- [In a storm Jonah was thrown overboard, swallowed by a great fish and spat out on land after three days.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/10-daniel-jonah-and-the-prophets/12/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «spat» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spat/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.