*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of spats

Clipping of spatterdashes.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A stiff legging worn over the instep and ankles of a shoe. · A similar device for horses. · Long hair on front of lower legs of heavier horses (over the hooves), especially draft horses, notably the Clydesdale breed. · Form-fitting shorts covering the waist to mid- or lower thigh usually worn for athletic events; compression shorts.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of spatterdashes.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "spatterdashes"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of spatterdashes"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "spatterdashes",
      "spatterdashes#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "word": "スパッツ",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "supattsu"
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A stiff legging worn over the instep and ankles of a shoe.",
        "A similar device for horses.",
        "Long hair on front of lower legs of heavier horses (over the hooves), especially draft horses, notably the Clydesdale breed.",
        "Form-fitting shorts covering the waist to mid- or lower thigh usually worn for athletic events; compression shorts."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ],
      "recordId": "ea290ae048b53ae252c406467d84ad5f5b39c2b4777bc0e2aef89ab8a97e60f7",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8813d4b568c2e9b6ac9f3b17d4fbe3a50e6c469ac1868812eb199fb399fc5328",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 556438
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

plural of spat

verb

third-person singular simple present indicative of spat

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of spatterdashes.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "spatterdashes"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of spatterdashes"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "spatterdashes",
      "spatterdashes#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "plural of spat"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "plural"
      ],
      "recordId": "42fecb5695b97c4f5ca68f5fe4909e285458cc0eb23a8ae537692eb66c25be42",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2654aae4bdf0e4651ba190e61569aee9ad1c9045102ed1e5165f3b2c947aae71",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 556439
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "third-person singular simple present indicative of spat"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "indicative",
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ],
      "recordId": "701143f7726e5e8bda04350ee805dfaabd0fbb79540da36401a308cbf7a4128a",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a32f92db223f861ab4decc6561bb435237b49f087c817d092b7ac58810e5910a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 556440
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for spats →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c3BhdHM