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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Spat(e, Spait(e, n. Also: spaitt, spayt(e, spayitt, spet(t, speit, speyt, speat(e, speatt, speet. [Late north. ME and e.m.E. spate (c1440), spat (1562). Cf. Du. spatten to sprinkle, spray, burst out.]

1. A flood, esp. a sudden flood or rising in the water level in a river, etc. caused by heavy rain, etc.; flooding, esp. that common in the winter. Also transf.(1) c1420 Wynt. i 280.
In tyll hys tyme bukys he wrate That drownyde ware in Noeys spate [W. spayte] c1420 Wynt. i 371 heading.
In this chapitere rede and se The arke, and the spate of Noe c1420 Wynt. v 5373.
Gret raynis fell … That the spatys and the flud The wallys off Rome a part ouryhud c1420 Wynt. vii 771.
Trent and Temys war sa schawlde, … That a barne … Mycht wayd oure thame, and na spate … mycht mak thaire kneys wate 1522 Aberd. B. Rec. I 105.
The sentrice of the brig … quhilk the spat haid brocht dovne 1535 Stewart 55447. 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas ii 478. 1692 Edinb. B. Rec. XII 101.
Spate(b) 1513 Doug. ii viii 105.
The fomy ryver or flude … Ourspredand croftis and flattis with his spait 1545 Treas. Acc. VIII 380.
We mycht nocht compleit oure jurnay na sonar be resoun of the gret storme and spait quhilk was the tyme of oure vayage 1564 Edinb. B. Rec. III 182.
To caus clenge the havin of Leyth of the greit stanis brocht doun be the last greit spait 1596 Glasgow Chart. II App. 567.
The burn of Malyndoner, quhilk be inundatioun of spaittis hes tane fra my land ane greit quantitie 1579, 1617 Despauter (1617) 22.
Torrens, a spait 1639 Baillie I 206.
Our enemies … readie … to break in like a spaite on the Mearnes and Angus 1658 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 110.
The winter seasone … may tak away raw wroght work in one spaitt and so losse their travell 1686 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII 60.
By the late spaits the bridge is extraordinarly ruined and undermyned(c) 1618 Crim. Trials III 433.
The watter of Dryfe ran sa violentlie, eftir ane speat, throw the haill kirk yaird … that the kirk it selff was liklie to becum ruinous 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 2109.
Sharp poynted butresses … that braks & byds The powar of the winter speats c1630 Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 146.
In tyme of speats and vehement tempest and stormie weather 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 528.
Thus Montros went like a current speat through this kingdome 1635 Aberd. B. Rec. III 75.
Suche speattis and invndatiounes c1641–54 J. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 521.
It hath abundance of salmond when thair ar no speats nor rayn but fair weather 1652 Cramond Ch. Grange 13.
The elder … confessed that he took a tre and laid it over the burne in a great spet, so that the people might com to the church 1666 Nicoll Diary 449.
Ther raise in the watter of Clyde ane great speet 1682 Inverness Rec. II 306.
Speatt 1683 Lauder Notices Affairs II 472.
Speits 1699 Conv. Burghs IV 285.
The dycks [by] these tydds and speats are caried awayfig. 1602 Colville Paraenese 33.
Be not astenied to see the small brookes ryis … for that is bot a speit vhilk rouschit avay and can not lest(2) 1513 Doug. ii vi 15.
A watir brek or spait of flude 1513 Doug. x x 40 (Ruddim.) (see 4 below). 1533 Boece 513b.
Ane haisty spate of suddane rising of watteris … apperis to me … mare to be ferit than the fyre 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Eluvio, ‘diluvium’ a speate of watters 1600-1610 Melvill 331.
The burn of Anstruther … rase within an hour. The read speat of fresche water market the sie mair nor a myll and a halff 1579, 1617 Despauter (1617) 89.
Alluvium, a spait of water 1633 Rutherford Christ's Napkin 12.
Be [not] like bairns building sandy bourocks at a water-side, when presently a speat of water comes and spills all their sport 1648 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 87.
The great detriment done … by the impetuous force and speit of water, quhairby the shoir is undermyndit, and much thairof washin away 1649 Lanark B. Rec. 139.
Severall of these boittis with the speit of water hes bene loist and caried over Clydis Lin … in the moneth of Januar last ane … boat at that place be the speit of the river wes caried away … the people that pas throw is in great danger in everie speit of rayne a1651 Calderwood VII 513.
The sea swelled … ; waters and brooks were aloft. Houses [etc.] … and much corne, was caried away with the speates of water 1672 Sinclair Hydrostaticks 291.
Even as, after a showr of rain a spait of water comes(3) 1658 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 110.
The worke made fixt and fast befoir this tyme of yeir that it [sc. the damhead] may better abyde the spaitt of winter

b. ? The flow of water in a river or perhaps a further instance of (1) above. Cf. 1649 quot. from Lanark B. Rec. in (2) above. 1646 Lanark B. Rec. 329.
The water of Mous, quhilk runneth with ane violent spait … not passeable neither be horse nor foot without daylie supplie

c. A heavy downpour of rain. 1535 Stewart 44620 heading.
Ane greit spait and tempest of weit 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 112.
The river … which wes then so deip … by reasone of the floods and speats of rain 1637 Aberd. Council Lett. II 75.
Quhairas this spaite of raine hes taken away our brigge of Fyvie 1649 Lanark B. Rec. 139 (see (2) above). 1683 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 74.
The last spait of raine 16… Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. III 16.
The earth and sand brought down with speats of rain

d. transf. Of tears; also of water taken internally as a curative. 1604-31 Craig i 18.
Neither he nor he by teaires could salue his ill, Though of those salt and fruitles flouds impetuus spaits they spil 1614 Melvill lxxi.
The sanctis … Gryt spaittis of teiris thair spend caus he is gane 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. ii 60.
No spaits of teires culd quench [etc.] — 1618 W. Barclay Well 5.
This water is … verie aperitiue, and serueth verie much for the washing away of sande, beeing taken in such quantitie as maketh a speate … and it bringeth … stones from the kidneyes

2. fig. A flood, an outburst or outpouring, a large or overwhelming amount (of a human activity, emotion, etc.).(1) 1535 Stewart 16207.
He dred he sould hald him suspett, And all the spate to lay into his net 1587 Bk. Univ. Kirk II 724.
What parte of this land is there that is not with a spaitt overwhelmed with abusing the blessed name of God, with suearing, [etc.] 1634 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 100.
God hath dried up one channel of your love by the removal of your husband. Let now that speat run upon Christ a1658 Durham Subtile Self 89.
This tentation is ordinarly violent … it enters into men with a mighty torrent and speat(2) 1605-6 Welsh Forty-eight Serm. 459.
And so of the smoking flax, beware that Satan quench it not with his manifold speats of temptations 1607 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 74.
I am … crossit euer sa since my ȝeiris of discretioun, with the turbulent speittis [ed. speitris] and inundatiouns off troublis, that I have had na … tyme for the studdie of letteris 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas iii 191.
Death-bent Dido … Transported with a rageing spait of ire 1622 Scot Course of Conformity 67.
A swift running speat of humane eloquence 1626 Garden Worthies 136.
Oceans and speats of praise 1611-57 Mure Doomesday 585.
Of joy, what ouerflowing spaite, Inunding this theater 1611-57 Mure True Crucifixe 565.
His guiltlesse soule made heavy to the death, Thy crimes the cause, thy sinnes inunding speate 1637 Baillie I 11.
Oure Thesaurer … caries all down that is in his way, with such a violent spaite, oft of needless passion a1658 Durham Scandal (1740) 143.
A giddy unstable soul, carried with the spait of a spirit of error 1680 Cloud of Witnesses 24.
Youth is a folly, and … I was too much carried down with the speat of it 1687 Shields Hind Let Loose 172.
A violent spait of defection carried down the most part of ministers and professors before it

b. A mood, a strong wave of (opposing) opinion; also, const. against (a person or action).(1) 1637 Baillie I 24.
I think it wicked and base to be moved or carried down with the impetuous spait of a multitude 1638 Henderson Serm. 363.
If there be a common defection … he can hold his own by the hand that they sall not be carried down by that speat 1640 Baillie I 252.
Some … though privatelie they assented to that paper … being carryed with a clean contrare spaite … would not let the committee determine any thing in that affair 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 49.
Throw the iniquity of that tyme and spait that did overflow the land [sc. in 1648] he wes deposed from the exercise of the ministry … because he would not comply with the courses of those tymes [etc.] 1678 Longforgan Par. 191.
A people who were in hazard to be draiven away with the spait of the time 1695 Annandale Corr. 118.
There runs such a speat and odium cast on me that [etc.](2) 1681 Aberd. Council Lett. VI 340.
Ther is a mightie speat against us, and … we know not whom to convince first 1681 Aberd. Council Lett. VI 341.
Considering the speat that is against anny rectifieing of that acte 1689 Leven & Melv. P. 42.
Ther is a violent spett both against your L. and him self 1691 Lauder Jrnl. 307.
Till the speat and humour of the people against him wer spent and runne out

c. A very large number of writings. 1638 Baillie I 93.
We are not yet troubled … with any of our adversaries wreittings … readily we will be overwhelmed with a speit of them

3. Without article: Flooding, inundation, a swollen condition of water. Also, once, spayt (= downpour) of rayn.(1) c1420 Wynt. i 967.
The wattyr off Nyle owre-fletys it all Wytht mowyr spryng, fore-owtyn spate 1496–7 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 70.
Quha sa takis the saidis mylnis … to tak thame with all aventouris of deid and weir spait and watter 1513 Doug. Comm. i v 81.
The flud bean speyt was flowyn sa far our the brays thai mycht nocht wyn to the crocis of the water 1531 Bell. Boece II 358.
The watteris of Forth and Tay rais with sic inundatioun of spait, that mony tounis wer drounit 1535 Stewart 53021.
The flude in abundance sould flow, And ryis so heich of spait, water and flude, To droun the castell 1560 Grey Friars 344.
The watter of Lossy … be inundation and speat tuke away the maist parte of the said hauch 1610 Aberd. B. Rec. II 299.
Ane bow … was nocht sufficient … to ressaue the haill water … the tyme of spaitt … and inrespect therof the said burne … being in spat, brak out oft 1676 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 219.
The watter of Die rysing throw speat exceidingly 1683 Fountainhall Decis. I 231.
The channel of the water was diverted casu and by speat(2) 1513 Doug. Comm. i iii 92.
He [sc. Virgil] comparis batell tyll spayt or dyluge of watyr 1513 Doug. ix i 74.
Swelland ryveris efter spayt [Ruthv. eftir the spate] of rayn 1531 Bell. Boece II 287.
The landis of Godowine, be spait of seis, wes coverit with sandis 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 335.
Spayitt 1533 Boece 319.
The violent pest (generit be invndacioun and spate of Tybir at Rome) 1540 Perth Guildry p. 512 (12 June).
Lowis werk now distroyit be grete spaitt of water 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 9. 1622-6 Bisset II 195/3.
The distructioun … of the castell of Bertha be enundatioun and suddan spait of watteris 1630 Edinb. B. Rec. VII 86.
Persounes … quhais landis wer overflowed with spett of water 1635 Aberd. B. Rec. III 75.
A greate pairt of the playfeild … is spoilled, brockin, and cariet away be speat and inundation of watter

b. On (only in Doug.), or in spait, in flood. 1513 Doug. ii vi 14.
The burn on spait hurlys down the bank 1513 Doug. ii viii 102.
The fomy ryver or flude Brekkis our the bankis on spait quhen it is wode 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 19.
Ryveris ran reid on spait with watir brovne 1567 G. Ball. 111.
Lyke burnis that in spait fast rin c1590 Fowler II 157/7.
Quhen … he [sc. the flood] beginneth agane to wax great and to ryse in speat 1600-1610 Melvill 139.
The water was weill grait in speat 1610 Aberd. B. Rec. II 299 (see (1) above). 1683 Alford Rec. 342.
The winter tyme, when that burne is in spett

c. Also with reference to the shedding of large quantities of blood. 1513 Doug. vi ii 17.
I … behald … Tibris the gret flude For gret habundance of blude on spait walx reid 1513 Doug. ix vii 191 (Ruddim.).
The feild about al warmyt quhare thay lay, That all with spate was blandit on the flude, In bullerand stremes of the fomy blude 1513 Doug. x i 55.
The fowceis of blude rynnys on spait 1513 Doug. xi viii 16.
The fowceis of our forteres Rynnys not our of bludy spait

4. comb. 1456 Hay I 115/25.
The spate wateris of the grete mountanis may sudaynly cum till infest the ost and disloge thame [sc. castles] 1513 Doug. x x 40.
The spait watir [Ruddim. spate of wattir] of this flude Sal bair thé in the deip 1529 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 396.
Gif it sall happin the … brig be … inundatioun of spaitt water [etc.] 1602 Colville Paraenese Ep. 15.
This … varietie of manifold religions vhilk … as ane turbulent inundation and speat vatter hes pitifully ouerrun the vyneyard of the church 1658 Lamont Diary 110.
[They] fell in the water, so that these that were present could not recouer them, because of the violence of the speate water, (for … ther was great abundance of snow on the grounde)