spatenoun [ C usually singular ]
uk/speɪt/us/speɪt/a larger number of events than usual, especially unpleasant ones, happening at about the same time:
Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the Kingsland Road area.
in (full) spate UK
If a river is in (full) spate, it has more water in it and is flowing faster than it usually does.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Masses and large amounts of things
- accumulation
- an embarrassment of riches idiom
- any number of things idiom
- backlog
- battery
- boatload
- bolus
- clot
- deluge
- fund
- lashing
- lather
- outpouring
- panoply
- plethora
- predominance
- preponderance
- sheet
- shower
- thousand
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Watercourses & waterfalls