Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Spate \Spate\, n. [Of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. speid.]
   A river flood; an overflow or inundation. --Burns.

         Gareth in a showerful spring Stared at the spate.
                                                  --Tennyson.

Source : WordNet®

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"; "it must
          have cost plenty" [syn: {batch}, {deal}, {flock}, {good
          deal}, {great deal}, {hatful}, {heap}, {lot}, {mass}, {mess},
           {mickle}, {mint}, {muckle}, {peck}, {pile}, {plenty}, {pot},
           {quite a little}, {raft}, {sight}, {slew}, {stack}, {tidy
          sum}, {wad}, {whole lot}, {whole slew}]
     2: a sudden forceful flow [syn: {rush}, {surge}, {upsurge}]
     3: the occurrence of a water flow resulting from sudden rain or
        melting snow [syn: {freshet}]