| 词组 | spate |
| 释义 | spate The literal meaning of spate is "flood," a sense of the word that now persists chiefly in British English, especially in the phrase in spate: • ... swept through our village like a river in spate — Alison Bruce, Over 21 (London), September 1974 Americans are primarily familiar with the word in its common figurative senses, most of which can be broadly defined together as "a notably large number or amount appearing or occurring suddenly or within a brief time": • ... a spate of technical studies in the early 60s —Ivar Berg, Change, September 1971 • ... the spate of periodicals released in the last two or three years —Berry Gargal Richards, Library Jour., 15 Dec. 1975 • The current spate of books on language usage — Anatole Broyard, N.Y. Times Book Rev., 22 Mar. 1981 This figurative spate is not a perfect reflection of the literal spate. To speak of a "spate of periodicals" is not the same as to speak of a flood or torrent of periodicals. Flood and torrent in their figurative uses suggest an overwhelming quantity; spate is appreciably less forceful. Several usage commentators have argued that since spate means "flood" literally it should also mean "flood" figuratively. According to our evidence, however, it almost never does. |
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