'Spate' definitions:

Definition of 'spate'

(from WordNet)
noun
(often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent; "a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of money"; "he made a mint on the stock market"; "see the rest of the winners in our huge passel of photos"; "it must have cost plenty"; "a slew of journalists"; "a wad of money" [syn: batch, deal, flock, good deal, great deal, hatful, heap, lot, mass, mess, mickle, mint, mountain, muckle, passel, peck, pile, plenty, pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, spate, stack, tidy sum, wad]
noun
A sudden forceful flow [syn: rush, spate, surge, upsurge]
noun
The occurrence of a water flow resulting from sudden rain or melting snow [syn: freshet, spate]

Definition of 'Spate'

From: GCIDE
  • Spate \Spate\, n. [Of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. speid.] A river flood; an overflow or inundation. --Burns. [1913 Webster]
  • Gareth in a showerful spring Stared at the spate. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]