I. ˈspāt, usu -ād.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English
1. : freshet , flood
every waterfall roars in spate — E.J.Moran
an Arkansas River spate — S.H.Adams
a migration into the valley that continued in full spate beyond the middle of the century — American Guide Series: Virginia
2. chiefly Scotland : a sudden heavy rainstorm
3.
a. : a large number or amount
a spate of books on gardening
a spate of cowboy movies
a spate of publicity
b. : a sudden or strong outburst : rush
a spate of anger
a spate of words
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
chiefly Scotland : flood