Spates

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sudden and intense rush of occurrences or floods, often overwhelming a situation or environment with their sheer volume and impact
2. An abrupt influx of events or phenomena, particularly floods or emotional episodes, that create significant changes in circumstances or conditions
3. A series of sudden occurrences or excessive flows that overwhelm a specific area or situation due to their intensity and volume

Etymology: Middle English had "spate" (or "spait") meaning a flood, and the word may be related to "spatter" and Dutch "spatten," both meaning to splash. Its ultimate source is uncertain, though it is possibly connected to Proto-Indo-European roots tied to spitting, which would make it an imitative word, one that sounds like the action it describes. The origin of the sense is less certain than the sense itself. The noun was shaped by the Scots word "spate," which covered a torrent of water or a heavy downpour, and also figurative uses such as a bout of drinking, a large crowd, or a flood of words or events. English speakers took the noun from that flood-of-water core and carried it outward into the metaphorical sense of a sudden rush of happenings. The verb "spates" is the third-person singular form of "spate," which was derived from the noun. It was probably influenced by a Scots verb meaning to flood, to rain heavily, or, figuratively, to scold fiercely.

Synonyms: outbursts, floods