From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishspatespate /speɪt/ noun 1 → spate of something2 → in spate
Examples from the Corpus
spate• The poll results come amid a spate of bad news for tobacco companies.• If a statutory definition were to be promulgated, it would lead to confusion, and a spate of litigation.• These questions have been raised by leading palaeontologists and archaeologists in a spate of articles in newspapers and journals.• Homeowners have reported a spate of vandalism, break- ins, thefts, and other crimes that they attribute to illegal immigrants.• The current spate of reports on the schools criticizes parents for not involving themselves in the education of their children.• Some of these riverbank cave entrances are submerged when the river is in spate making their underground passages subject to sudden flooding.• Even model Naomi Campbell appeared at the last spate of runway shows in New York with a swinging dark-blond weave.• The generosity of the offer had surprised them all and had prompted a whole spate of spontaneous offers.Origin spate (1400-1500) Perhaps from Old French espoit, from Dutch spuiten “to flow out strongly” 