Part 614

Spasmodic croup (Med.), an affection of childhood characterized by a stoppage of brathing developed suddenly and without fever, and produced by spasmodic contraction of the vocal cords. It is sometimes fatal. Called also laryngismus stridulus, and childcrowing. -- Spasmodic stricture, a stricture caused by muscular spasm without structural change. See Organic stricture, under Organic.

Spas*mod"ic, n. (Med.) A medicine for spasm.

Spas*mod"ic*al (?), a. Same as Spasmodic, a. -- Spas*mod"ic*al*ly (#), adv.

Spas"tic (?), a. [L. spasticus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to draw: cf. F. spastique. See Spasm.] (Med.) Of or pertaining to spasm; spasmodic; especially, pertaining to tonic spasm; tetanic.

Spas"tic*al*ly (?), adv. Spasmodically.

Spas*tic"i*ty (?), n. 1. A state of spasm.

2. The tendency to, or capability of suffering, spasm.

Spat (?), imp. of Spit. [Obs. or R.]

Spat, n. [From the root of spit; hence, literally, that which is ejected.] A young oyster or other bivalve mollusk, both before and after it first becomes adherent, or such young, collectively.

Spat, v. i. & t. To emit spawn; to emit, as spawn.

Spat, n. [Cf. Pat.] 1. A light blow with something flat. [U.S. & Prov. Eng.]

2. Hence, a petty combat, esp. a verbal one; a little quarrel, dispute, or dissension. [U. S.]

Spat, v. i. To dispute. [R.] Smart.

Spat, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spatted; p. pr. & vb. n. Spatting.] To slap, as with the open hand; to clap together; as the hands. [Local, U.S.]

Little Isabel leaped up and down, spatting her hands.

Judd.

Spa*tan"goid (?), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Spatangoidea. -- n. One of the Spatangoidea.

||Spat`an*goi"de*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See Spatangus, and -oid.] (Zoöl.) ||An order of irregular sea urchins, usually having a more or less ||heart-shaped shell with four or five petal-like ambulacra above. The ||mouth is edentulous and situated anteriorly, on the under side.

||Spa*tan"gus (?), n. [NL., fr. L. spatangius a kind of sea urchin, Gr. ||&?;.] (Zoöl.) A genus of heart-shaped sea urchins belonging to the ||Spatangoidea.

Spatch"cock` (?), n. See Spitchcock.

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.

||Spa"tha (?), n.; pl. Spathæ (#). [L.] (Bot.) A spathe.

Spa*tha"ceous (?), a. (Bot.) Having a spathe; resembling a spathe; spathal.

Spa"thal (?), a. (Bot.) Furnished with a spathe; as, spathal flowers. Howitt.

Spathe (?), n. [L. spatha, Gr. &?;: cf. F. spathe. See Spade for digging.] (Bot.) A special involucre formed of one leaf and inclosing a spadix, as in aroid plants and palms. See the Note under Bract, and Illust. of Spadix.

The name is also given to the several-leaved involucre of the iris and other similar plants.