spate
    n 1: (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]
    2: a sudden forceful flow [syn: rush, spate, surge,
       upsurge]
    3: the occurrence of a water flow resulting from sudden rain or
       melting snow [syn: freshet, spate]

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