Definition: spate

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Source: WordNet (r) 1.7 

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]

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.