spate
n
1 [sing] sudden fast rush (of business, etc) (生意等的)突然增多
a spate of orders 突如其来的一大批订货单
a spate of new cars on the market 突然上市的一批新汽车
a spate of (cases of) influenza in the winter 冬天的一阵流感.
2 (idm 习语) in `spate (of a river, etc) flowing strongly at a much higher level than normal (指河水等)高涨
After the storm all the rivers were in spate. 暴雨过後河水都上涨了.