Spat

/spæt/ noun, verb

Definition

A short, minor argument or disagreement between people; or past tense of 'spit.'

Etymology

Unknown origin for the argument meaning, possibly imitative of the sound of spitting. As the past tense of 'spit,' it dates to Old English 'spiwan.' The 'quarrel' sense emerged around the 1800s.

Kelly Says

It's wild that one word has two totally different meanings—a tiny argument versus literally expelling saliva from your mouth. Language is full of these 'homonyms' where completely unrelated meanings somehow ended up sharing the same spelling, probably by pure accident.

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