early 15c., originally Scottish and northern English, "a sudden flood, especially one caused by heavy rains or a snowmelt," of unknown origin. Perhaps from Old French espoit "flood," from Dutch spuiten "to flow, spout;" related to spout (v.). Figurative sense of "unusual quantity" is attested from 1610s.
雙語例句
1. 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。
來自柯林斯例句
2. The bombing was the latest in a spate of terrorist attacks.
這次的爆炸事件是近期一連串恐怖主義襲擊中最新的一起。
來自《權(quán)威詞典》
3. Doctors have suffered a loss of prestige following a spate of scandals.
接二連三的丑聞使醫(yī)生名譽掃地.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
4. The river is in spate.
河水猛漲.
來自《現(xiàn)代英漢綜合大詞典》
5. The spate of storms and hurricanes in recent years could be a statistical quirk.