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Contend vs Spat - What's the difference?

contend | spat |

As a verb contend

is to strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.

As a noun spat is

spar.

contend

English

(Webster 1913)

Verb

(en verb)
  • to strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.
  • * Bible, Deuteronomy ii. 9
    • The Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle.
  • * Shakespeare
    • For never two such kingdoms did contend without much fall of blood.
  • to struggle or exert one's self to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend.
  • * Dryden
    • You sit above, and see vain men below / Contend for what you only can bestow.
  • to strive in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue.
  • * John Locke
    • The question which our author would contend for.
  • * Dr H. More
    • Many things he fiercely contended about were trivial.

    Synonyms

    * struggle, fight, combat, vie, strive, oppose, emulate, contest, litigate, dispute, debate

    Related terms

    * contender * contention * contentious

    External links

    * *

    spat

    English

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) spittan,

    Verb

    (head)
  • (spit)
    • There was no sink in the room so we spat out the window.
    If I had known you had a spittoon in the corner I would never have spat on the floor.

    Etymology 2

    Of uncertain origin; perhaps related to (spit).

    Noun

    (-)
  • The spawn of shellfish, especially oysters and similar molluscs.
  • * 2005 , TVR Pillay & MN Kutty, Aquaculture: Principles and practices , p. 525:
    • As spat-fall often occurs in areas away from environments suitable for oyster growing, the collection, transport and sale of oyster spat has developed into a separate industry.

    Verb

    (spatt)
  • (ambitransitive) To spawn. Used of shellfish as above.

    • Etymology 3

    Shortening of spatterdash, from spatter + dash. 1779.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A covering or decorative covering worn over a shoe.
  • (automotive) (UK, Australia) A piece of bodywork that covers the upper portions of the rear tyres of a car.
    • Synonyms
    * (automotive) fender skirt (US)
    See also
    * gaiter

    Etymology 4

    1804. American English, unknown origin.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a brief argument, falling out, quarrel

    • Verb

    (spatt)
  • to quarrel or argue briefly
    • (Smart)

    Etymology 5

    Attested from 1823.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A light blow with something flat.

    • Verb

    (spatt)
  • (transitive, and, intransitive) To strike with a spattering sound.
  • * 1922 , , The Trail of the White Mule , ch. 3:
    • He felt the wind of a second bullet that spatted against a boulder near Barney.
  • * 2007 , Nolan Clay, " Co-workers testify about Kelsey's mother," Daily Oklahoman , 13 July, (retrieved 25 Aug. 2009):
    • "She mentioned she had spatted Kelsey on her diaper with a hairbrush," said Mildred Johnson, a co-worker.
  • (US, dialect) To slap, as with the open hand; to clap together, as the hands.
  • * Sylvester Judd
    • Little Isabel leaped up and down, spatting her hands.

    Etymology 6

    (etyl)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An obsolete unit of distance in astronomy (symbol S), equal to one billion kilometres.

    • Anagrams

    * * * * * English irregular past participles English irregular simple past forms English terms with multiple etymologies English terms with unknown etymologies ----