1. 大批，一連串，一陣(尤指令人不快之物) A spate of things, especially unpleasant things, is a large number of them that happen or appear within a short period of time.
e.g. ...the recent spate of attacks on horses. 最近發(fā)生的一連串襲馬事件 e.g. ...the current spate of scandals. 目前流傳的大量謠言
2. (河水)猛漲，泛濫 When a river is in spate it contains a lot more water than usual and is flowing very fast.
spate的反義詞
e.g. The Thames was in spate, with flocks of Canada geese speeding downriver. 泰晤士河河水暴漲，成群的加拿大雁迅速游向下游。
spate英英釋義
noun
1. the occurrence of a water flow resulting from sudden rain or melting snow
Synonym: freshet
2. a sudden forceful flow
Synonym: rushsurgeupsurge
3. (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent
e.g. 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
Synonym: batchdealflockgood dealgreat dealhatfulheaplotmassmessmicklemintmountainmucklepasselpeckpileplentypotquite a littleraftsightslewstacktidy sumwad